The Fork in the Road
by mangoblogs
Summary: This story shows that every thing that ever happened was occurring simply for Samcedes to meet and fall in love. This story shows how close they have came to meeting without exactly meeting til they finally meet and impact each others lives in a big way.
1. Chapter 1

_Have you ever wondered about the saying "Everything happens for a reason"? Wondered if there was anything true about the fact that every single choice we make is fated for the same end result? It would be quite crazy if you've heard of that and not heard someone utter the words "I was made to love you". If you don't believe in any of that or in divine intervention, then this story might seem as if it is truly impossible. How can two complete strangers pass by each other at so many different times in their lives without meeting until that right moment? Well it all began way back when they were in the womb. Let's take a journey back to when it all happened on a Tuesday morning on 20th day of May in 1997._

Quinn Fabray woke up and looked down at her protruding belly that held a baby that she did not want or need. To anyone else, she simply looked as if she had a large breakfast that morning. If her mother saw her belly, she would know. So Quinn had been hiding her pregnancy from everyone, even the father of the child. As far as everyone knew, Quinn was a virgin and she was not about to tarnish her reputation with a drunken mistake that led to this pregnancy. Each morning she would quickly get ready before her mother would wake and run out the door before she could see her. In the evening, she would stay out as late as possible with events and organizations that she "volunteered" for. Her mother hadn't truly laid eyes on her since she was 4 months pregnant.

"Arhh!" she groaned as a sharp pain hit her back as she tried to get out of bed. The further she got into the pregnancy the more painfully it was to get around. She spent a lot of time practicing how to avoid waddling and maintaining her pre-pregnancy walk and wore a lot of layers. It was May, so the weather was all over the place. Cold one day and warm the next. Through it all she kept her layers on.

Once she was done getting ready for school, she quickly made her way out the door. Just as she was about to close the door, she heard her mother shout her name. She pretended as if she didn't hear her and continued on her way to school. Since the pregnancy, she had been walking to school. She used this as her way to exercise. She wasn't seeing a doctor, so she felt this was the best way to remain healthy.

"You're welcome, you little parasite." she said with a loving smile as she rubbed her belly. Every once and a while she found herself thinking about life with the baby but then she remembers her plans for her future. Yale had no room for this baby. "Enjoy it in there. You will be evicted soon." she added to remind herself to not get attached. "Ouch!" she shouted as another sharp pain hit her back again, followed by cramping that caused her to double over. "Geez, you little evil bugger, watch it!" she shouted then felt a rush of liquid slime down her legs. "I said evicted soon, not now!" she shouted again and began looking around. She noticed a pay phone across the street and quickly made her way over to it. She needed to make two calls. One to a taxi but first she needed to call Rachel Berry. Although they didn't really get along, she knew she was the only classmate that woke up early.

"Good morning, you've got Rachel." she answered with the cheerful annoying voice that usually irritated Quinn, but today she needed to get over it.

"Hey Rachel, I need for you to cover for me today."

"Oh, hey Quinn. How are you?" she asked instead. Quinn could hear her breathing hard, remembering that she exercised every morning.

"I'm good Rachel but I need for you to cover for me. I don't want my parents getting a call that I was absent today. So can you do this or not?" Quinn asked as she continued to look around.

"Of course I can but I just want to know why you need me to forge documents in the office. You know I take pride in what I do." Quinn debated telling Rachel about the pregnancy, but knew that she would just use it against her. She tried to think of something else to say that would get her on board.

"I really need this and I promise once it is done, I will tell you. I don't want to jinx it." she lied. Rachel was quiet for a second before finally agreeing to help her.

"Oh hey, as a favor maybe we can-" Quinn quickly hung up before Rachel could finish the sentence and calling for a cab. The last thing she needed was to call for an ambulance and the bill comes to the house. As she waited for the cab to arrive she tried to think of what she was going to do with the baby once it was here.

"Why would you let this happen to me right now God?" she asked with a soft sigh as a tear skid down her face.

* * *

Later that day, at the school, God was making things happen for another person as well. Only difference was this person wanted this baby so much. Cassandra Jones, a teacher known to many of her students as their favorite teacher. Some called her Mrs. J but most called her Ms. C. When she announced her pregnancy to the class many were happy for her and some felt a bit scared as she wasn't a spring chicken. At the age of 42, she thought pregnancy was out of the question for her. She and her husband had tried plenty times to get pregnant and nothing worked. When they finally gave up and decided to adopt, she became pregnant only to lose the baby weeks later. She decided that maybe that was a sign that she wasn't supposed to have children. Then she became pregnant when she really gave up to the idea of having kids at all. She kept her pregnancy a secret until she was showing, not to hide it but because she always lost the baby early on.

"Alright class, let's get settled in." she announced with a smile and a rub to her belly as she felt the baby kick her slightly. "Calm down, my little princess. I know your running out of room." she whispered softly as the class began to settle down. "Please turn in your homework by passing it over to the front." she instructed. "Rachel, can you collect-" she stopped just as she felt what she knew couldn't be her water breaking.

"Mrs. Jones! Your water just broke!" Rachel shouted as she ran over to her. Everyone in the class was staring at her as she looked down at the small puddle that began to collect under her feet. "Call the nurse!"

"No...no...it isn't time yet. She can't be born yet. I can't lose her." she stated over and over. Everything after that was a blur as she was escorted to an ambulance and then to the hospital. She prayed the entire way and by the time she made it to the hospital room, she had made her peace with it. "I know you wouldn't make me get this far to forsake me. This baby will be fine." she muttered to herself till she was put in a room with another person about to deliver.

"Are you kidding me? I thought I asked for a private room?" Cassandra heard the girl say as she quickly wiped away what looked to have been tears. "I was promised a private room."

"Sorry, Ms. Fabray. We do not have private rooms here. I am not sure why someone promised you a private room." the nurse replied as she continued to set up Cassandra. The girl, who Cassandra recognized as one of the students at McKinley named Quinn Fabray, tried to hide her face from her but it was too late. Although she never knew Quinn was pregnant, she wanted to reassure her that they were there for the same reason. Last thing on her mind was to ruin whatever secret the child had. Once the nurse left the room, she cleared her throat to speak to her. She needed to take her mind off of situation she was in and talking to Quinn might help that.

"Quinn?"

"Great." Quinn mumbled before turning to face Cassandra. "So, yes, it's me. Quinn Fabray! Devout christian, head cheerleader and head of the chastity group at McKinley. You want to tell the world that I am in here about to have a baby that I had no plan for?"

"Quinn, child, I have no plans on doing anything but delivering my precious baby girl here." Cassandra responded with a genuine smile as she rubbed her belly again. "I am not here to judge you or spread your secrets to anyone."

"Yeah right." she replied.

"Look, I know you're scared..."

"I'm not scared. I'm pissed."

"Okay, so you're mad. Who or what are you mad at?" Cassandra asked. Quinn rolled her eyes then wiped away the tears that were still trickling down her face.

"I go to church every chance that I can. I volunteer. I donate. I am kind. I do everything that my pastor says is required of me. And yet, instead of blessing me...what does God do?" Quinn asked as if she wanted an answer. "He allows a baby to grow inside of me despite all my plans that I have prayed for."

"I hear you, Quinn. I really do but..."

"No...don't but me, Mrs. Jones. I know what you're going to say. But Quinn, you need to take responsibility for your actions. And I get that but why pregnancy?"

"Would you have rathered an STD?"

"No...well...maybe something I can take a pill to cure and learn my lesson. A baby is forever. And it just doesn't fit in my plans for Yale." she paused and shook her head as she began to tear up again. "I'm not evil. I promise. I just don't need a baby right now." Cassandra looked down at her belly and rubbed it before smiling. Prior to being placed in this room, the baby kept kicking and causing crazy contractions. The minute she was in the room she calmed down. It all made sense to her now. She was meant to be here. She was meant to be here for Quinn. She reached over and held Quinn's hand then gave it a squeeze.

"Everything happens for a reason." Cassandra said as Quinn slowly removed her hands from hers. "You may not believe in divine intervention but trust in the process. God has a plan. He always does." Quinn shook her head and Cassandra knew what she was thinking so she decided to confide in her. "Alright, I get it. Right now you don't see it but I do." she nodded and smiled down at her belly. "I had tried numerous times to have a baby. If I told you all the things I've tried you would think I was lying." she chuckled. "Every time I tried, I either never got pregnant or lost the baby within weeks. And trust me there are plenty other women out there just like me. Just praying and begging for what you have in your stomach right now."

"I'm sorry Mrs. Jones. I didn't mean to..."

"No child I get it. I am not trying to make you feel ashamed." she reached over for Quinn's hand again. "I am telling you this for a reason. I never thought I would ever see my 8th month of pregnancy. I never thought I would be pregnant period. And when the doctor told me...a 42 year old woman, that I was pregnant. I knew for sure I wasn't going to make it. I cried to God asking him why would he make me pregnant now. Why now?"

"Wait...you're 42? You don't look over 35!"

"Black don't crack baby." she chuckled then sighed. "But, seriously, I couldn't understand why He'd wait til now to make this happen, then I met you and it all clicked."

"Me? What does me being in here have to do with you?"

"Although I wanted a baby a long time ago, God knew I needed to be here, for you. God works in mysterious ways because he uses us as vessel to bless others. He's using me to let you know why it's okay to not want this baby. This baby wasn't placed in you for you. So many people are out there wanting children but cannot bear children. Placing your child in adoption will be a blessing to another family and to your child."

"Adoption was always the only option for me. I really cannot keep this baby. If my parent finds out she will kick me out of the house. And I will never get into Yale and do all the things I have planned for my future. I would struggle with it." Quinn replied.

"It's okay. Everything will be okay. We will both have these babies and will be okay. If you get kicked out, my door is opened for you. Just know that there will be a crying baby girl in the house."

"I can cry with her." Quinn added as they both chuckled. "Thank you for making me feel better about all of this. I truly felt as if I was no longer a christian with the thoughts that I've been having."

"We all fall short of his Grace." Cassandra added then stopped when Quinn screamed. "Breathe through it child, just breathe." she instructed as a nurse came rushing in. Minutes later, they were wheeling her out of the room.

"Can she come with me, please?" Quinn begged as they separated her from Cassandra.

"You will be fine! You'll be strong." were the last things that she was able to say to Quinn. Moments later, they came to get Cassandra prepared for her C-section. "Has my husband arrived yet?"

"He called and said he was stuck in traffic but on his way."

"Can we wait for him?" she asked.

"No we can't. The baby is ready to come." the nurse responded as they wheeled her away.

* * *

Quinn was shocked at how quickly she had the baby. She pushed for fifteen minutes and then heard the sound of the baby wailing. They placed him in her arms and for a brief moment she saw her life as a mother with a toddler trying to do college life. She knew many had done it before but she really didn't see it for herself. She was not meant to be this baby's mom. Just as Cassandra stated, she was meant to just be a vessel and bless someone else that wanted a child but couldn't have one.

"Do you have a name for him, yet?" the nurse asked with a smile as she looked over at Quinn. Quinn stared at the baby and shook her head. She never thought she would even hold the baby let alone name him. She immediately thought of the bible and said the first name that came to mind.

"Uh...I guess Sam...or Steven. Maybe both I don't know."

"You mean Samuel?" the nurse asked as she began to write the name on the card.

"No...just Sam...and uh...I want to talk to someone about adoption." she added with a whisper. The nurse's smile slowly went away before nodding and writing Baby Sam on the card. Quinn watched as the nurse walked away as she stared down at the baby. He had a small amount of blond fuzz on his head and piercing green eyes that she figured was from his father. "I'm sorry that I can't keep you. I hope when you get older you understand my choice to give you away. I pray you don't hate me, but if you end up hating me I will completely understand." she added as Sam reached up and squeezed her hand. "Are you trying to tell me you understand or are you trying to not let me go?" Quinn couldn't wait to see Cassandra and her baby. When she returned, she was no longer in the room so she assumed the baby was being born.

"Okay, so I have a social worker coming to talk to you about adoption. They should be in here shortly."

"Thank you." Quinn replied with a smile. "Uh, hey, do you know where the other woman that was in the room with me...do you know if she had her baby?" Quinn noticed the nurse shift a bit before responding.

"I cannot disclose that information."

"Oh I get that. I just wanted to let her see the baby before I left or he leaves with the social worker." Quinn said trying not to seem annoyed.

"I understand. I still cannot give you any information."

"Okay, well can you take him to the nursery in the meantime?"

"I sure can." she replied before taking Sam and placing him in the bassinet. "If you need anything else feel free to buzz me in." the nurse replied before stepping out. Quinn waited till she was out of the room, before jumping out of the bed and getting dressed. She left a note on the bed to let the social worker know that she wanted to give Sam up and then made her way to the nursery to say final goodbyes. She really wanted to see Cassandra before she left but she figured she'd see her at school.

She made her way to the nursery and smiled at Sam as he took in his surroundings. Next to him, was a baby that was sound asleep. Minutes later, a nurse brought over a baby girl that was crying her heart out. She continued to cry but stopped when she was placed next to Sam. Quinn smiled at her as she began to coo. Her huge almond shape eyes zeroed in on Quinn. She read the baby card and smiled when it said baby Jones. She wondered why Cassandra didn't name her. She was busy smiling at her when she noticed a tall black man walk in with a nurse with red eyes and tears falling from his eyes as he walked into the nursing. Quinn felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach as she watched the nurse bring him to baby Jones. She tried to read the nurse's lips but it was pretty evident what was being said. Before Quinn knew what was happening a tear fell from her eyes. Just moments ago, she was talking to Cassandra and now she was gone. They both brought babies into the world and although Cassandra didn't have a choice they were both out of the babies lives. Quinn shook her head as she turned to leave. Everything happens for a reason? What was the reason for taking Cassandra?

* * *

**Hey everyone! Who is even still out there? I know I said I was done ficking and I really was but then this story came to me. I also had another but I talked myself out of writing it lol. Lamia cussed me out already so chillllllllll. Anyway, I couldn't talk myself out of this story. Just so you know Quinn and Cassandra won't be returning as they played their role for the story. If Quinn ever returns it will be brief. Anyway, the next few chapters will be full on Sam and Mercedes throughout their lives. I hope you all stick around for the journey or don't.**

**Oh by the way, I have been playing the Sims lately and recording my Samcedes sims on youtube. If you want to watch just look of slices of mango on youtube. **

**Thanks for returning and excuse any typos.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Baby Samcedes **

It had been weeks since the babies were born. The day Cassandra passed away still haunted her husband, but Ed had to be strong since he was now a father. Every time he looked at his daughter he smiled then cried, knowing her mother couldn't meet her tore him apart. No one he knew wanted a baby as much as his wife did. He decided to name her Mercedes after Cassandra's favorite singer and he prayed that she approved. The nurses told him that she had a set of lungs on her so the name was fitting. Ed noticed that she was always crying whenever he came to see her and that worried him. He immediately assumed that the issue was him.

"Why is she always crying so much?" he asked as she squeezed his finger tight. "Am I...uh...doing something wrong?" he asked just as a nurse came in with another crying baby. Seeing another baby crying didn't make him feel any better. "Wait, another crying baby? Is something wrong with the both of them?" he asked as he looked at the nurse bringing in the new baby.

"Don't worry Dr. Jones." the nurse replied with a smile as she brought the other baby near Mercedes. "Just watch this." she added with a smirk as all the nurses gathered around the crying babies. Almost suddenly they both began to calm down. "They cry every time they are pulled apart. It's been like this for weeks. Never seen anything like this before."

"Not even twins are as connected as these two are."

"Yeah, baby Sam hates to be away from baby Mercedes. And she hates when he's pulled away too." the other nurse in the room added with a chuckle. From the minute they were placed next to each other they began soothing each other with coos. Ed looked down at his daughter as she cooed. He looked over at the baby they called Sam and smiled as he cooed as well. "Whenever one cries, we just bring them close to each other and bam...like some crazy magic."

"I don't think I'll be able to convince his parents to bring him around every time she cries." he replied with a chuckle.

"I am pretty sure that request would be impossible." the nurse replied.

"I knew it was an impossible request." he nodded. "Either way, I can barely handle one screaming baby, there's no way that I would handle two. And I have been interviewing nannies to help..." he paused as he could feel a tear gearing up. "Her mother...would've been great at this." he stared down at Mercedes then cleared his throat. "When will I be able to take her home?"

"I will get the doctor to inform you of everything. Excuse me, please." the nurse stated before stepping out to get the doctor. He knew they were going to tell him that they needed to do more tests. She was still so very tiny. The only thing big about her was that scream that she had in her. And even though he could tell she wasn't ready, he wanted to get her out of the hospital. And even with that in mind, he was not prepared for her at home. Cassandra hadn't furnished the nursery yet. Deep down it was almost as if she had a feeling that one of them was not coming home. So, now, he had to get her nursery furnished and get her a really good nanny. Cassandra was the one that was great with children. He, being an only child with no cousins, spent more time around adults growing up. When she became pregnant he knew he had nothing to worry about because she was such an awesome person. He knew she would have this mothering thing in the bag.

When he finally arrived at the hospital and was told that she didn't make it out of surgery, he felt as if he let her down. He was supposed to be there. He was supposed to help her welcome their daughter into the world, but instead he was stuck performing dental surgery. It had been weeks and he was still kicking himself for telling his staff not to interrupt him when he was in the surgery room. He didn't even think she would go into labor but in retrospect, he really should've been on high alert. He wished she had made it through, because he didn't think he could make it without her. But, he was a father now and life has made him know that he had to make it.

* * *

A couple more weeks had passed by the day Mercedes was finally released from the NICU and given the okay to go home. The nurses were happy and saddened by this as they had grown to love the way Sam and Mercedes were together. As a tradition that they'd done for many years, they planned to take a picture of the babies before they were set to leave. Normally the nurses just took pictures of the baby that was leaving but they decided to have each nurse hold Sam and Mercedes for a picture. It would be their last time together and they figured it would be nice to send each baby off with a picture of what they called the Babies First BFF. As they stood side by side, Sam reached out as if he were yawning but Mercedes quickly grabbed his hand. The nurse took the photo just in time to catch the candid moment.

"Oh my God! They're holding hands. I gotta take more pictures." She snapped several Polaroids and handed them to the nurse beside her to shake. They placed one of the pictures on the wall of NICU babies. Once her father arrived, they handed him one of the other pictures and packed the remaining one within Sam's things. He looked down at the picture and smiled. He didn't believe it would be a picture that he would keep but he planned to try his best not to lose it.

Once he made it to the elevator, Mercedes began to cry. In fact, she cried all the way to the car. He placed her in the car. As he tried to place the seat belt on the carseat, he tried to calm her down but nothing was working. He still had the picture of her and baby Sam in his hand and it caused him to struggle with placing the seat belt on accurately. He placed it in his mouth as he struggled to put the seat belt on then decided to place it on her lap. The minute the picture fell on her lap she began to calm down. He paused and stared at his daughter as she cooed and kick her feet. He quickly took the picture, just to see if she would cry. And, she immediately began to curl her bottom lip.

"Little girl, this is just a picture." he shook his head as she began to cry again. "Here! Shhhh!" he dropped the picture back on her lap. She slowly started to calm down then fell straight to sleep. "So, you mean to tell me that I have to keep this picture just to keep you from crying?" he asked as he stared at his beautiful daughter. As she slept, she made a look that reminded him of Cassandra. "What am I going to do with you, little girl?" he asked before jumping into the front seat and driving away.

* * *

Baby Sam remained at the hospital for a few more weeks before they found a family for him. Every nurse that was assigned to him all fell in love with him. As new nurses did their rounds, they began to give him new cute names that all had to do with his crying. The only time he didn't cry was when he was eating or sleeping. When he was finally placed with a family they didn't care about the crying, they just really wanted Sam. They had tried for many years to have children, but after the last miscarriages they knew it was time to give in.

Dwight and Mary Evans, were overjoyed when they finally held Sam for the first time. From a glance Sam looked as if he could have been their biological son. His blond hair matched Dwight's blond locks and his green eyes matched Mary's. She knew from the moment she held him, even though he was crying his heart out, that she was never telling him that he was adopted. On the way home, Mary sat in the back with Sam and spoke to him as Dwight drove.

"You're my son. Now and forever." she whispered as she placed a kiss on his temple. He calmed down for a second before resuming his crying. "He's going to love his room, isn't he, honey?" Mary asked as she lightly brushed his hair as Sam continued to cry his heart out.

"What?" Dwight shouted as he looked at her through the rear-view mirror. "I cannot hear you."

"I WAS ASKING IF YOU THINK HE'D LIKE THE ROOM?" She shouted back and shifted in her seat as she felt something poking her. She quickly grabbed what was poking her. She held the polaroid for a brief second and then looked back at Sam. Sam, distracted her when he stopped for a brief second. "Oh my God, he stopped crying." she smiled stroked his cheek with her index finger. He immediately turned his face towards her finger. She tossed the polaroid to the ground and searched for his bottle. "Oh honey, I think he's hungry." she was all over the place with excitement as she tried to feed him.

He glanced up at her and smiled. He had made peace with the fact that they wouldn't be parents but Mary needed Sam. It took a lot for him to convince her to adopt. She was willing to try till the cows came home and he was ready to try anything for her. Anything to keep her happy especially after she stuck it out with him through the hardest time of their lives. For a while, he couldn't find a job to support them and figured that giving her the baby she wanted would help her be happy and stick with him. And when they couldn't get pregnant he knew he needed to find something. She deserved the best and he could not seem to give it to her. So, he was just happy that he was able to relocate to Lima and got a really great job. After landing the great job and buying a nice small starter home for them, he knew nothing would stop them from being adopted.. Things were finally looking up for them and Dwight couldn't wait to spoil their son with all the lavish things that he never had growing up. Sam was just a baby but he had no idea how happy he was making them and Dwight vowed to always keep him happy. He just needed to figure out how to get him to stop crying.

* * *

When they got home, they both took turns rocking Sam to sleep. He only stopped crying to eat, he even whimpered in his sleep. Nothing they did worked. They tried everything. Nothing worked. It was as if he never got tired of screaming. Dwight got a break when he went to work but Mary stayed home with Sam and he did not give her a break. Feeling guilty that she was left with the baby alone, he decided to pick up dinner, some flowers and wine. Even after spending hours at work, he wanted to give her time to soak in a nice bubble bath while he dealt with Sam. When he arrived home, he immediately heard Sam crying his heart out in his room but Mary was not in the room. He picked up Sam and cradled him close.

"Honey?" Dwight searched the bathroom then made his way over to their bedroom, where he found Mary crying. He quickly made his way over to her then placed Sam in the middle of the bed with pillows around him before making his way back to Mary.

"He hates me." Mary muttered as she wiped the tears from her face. He hates everything that I do. He hates my voice and my face, my mere presence makes him scream." Mary cried as Dwight wrapped his arms around her. "I thought he would love me the minute he met me just like I love him but...but...what am I doing wrong?" she cried.

"Honey, I don't think you're doing anything wrong. He's just being a baby." he added. "How about you take a break. Have a nice soak in the tub and sip some wine. Once you're done I will have Sam nice and quiet with our dinner ready."

"What kind of mother leaves a baby crying and takes a bath while sipping a wine?" Mary asked as she continued to cry.

"A mother that deserves it more than anything would. And a mother that has a handsome husband that thinks he might have what it takes to get this crying baby to smile instead and see what a beautiful mother he has." he smiled as he stood up and extended his hand to her. She stared over at Sam as he continued to cry before reaching her hand out to take his hand. He pulled her up and gave her a nice long hug before whispering how great she was and how patient she was with Sam. "Now, leave me with our son and I will handle it all." he added with a kiss to her forehead. He walked over and picked up Sam then stepped out of the bedroom and close the door behind him. Once he was in the living room, he cradled Sam and tried to sing to him. When that didn't work, he turned on the TV and placed it on PBS. He tried to sit Sam right in front of the TV but that didn't work either. "Look here son, you gotta do me a favor and if you do this for me I promise to always be there for you."

"What do I have to do, dad?" he pretended Sam replied.

"My wife means the world to me and right now, you mean the world to her." he spoke as if Sam understood. "Your incessant crying is making her feel as if she's inadequate." Almost as if the conversation irritated him, Sam cried louder. Dwight knew that Mary could hear him crying and he had to figure out something quick. He picked up Sam and placed a jacket on Sam before grabbing his car keys. He saw on the TV that driving around tend to help kids sleep so if that's what it took he was willing to do it. "You have no idea what your mother has been through just to have you." he said to Sam as he placed him in his car seat and just as he was about to strap him in he noticed a polaroid that fell in the backseat. "And what do we have here?" he asked just as Sam stopped crying. He looked at the picture then back at Sam and pulled the picture behind him. Sam's bottom lip curled as he prepared to cry again. Dwight smiled and placed the picture back near Sam then chuckled as he stopped crying immediately. "Well I'll be damned." Dwight took Sam out of the carseat and closed the door before racing back inside of the house with Sam.

* * *

**Oh hey thanks for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it. Also, no I am not back to writing fanfic. Lamia is just a bully that bullies me into writing fanfiction. LOL. You can thank her whenever I write anything on here. She is really mean to me yall lol.**

**Also, this chapter is short becuz its the baby chapter. I can't wait til they are young adults and we can finally get to the juicy tidbits.**

**Next chapter Samcedes will be 5ish. Please stick around. This is mosdef nothing like anything I have ever written before and its killing me not to overdose yall with fluff.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Kid years**

Mercedes skipped with glee as she entered inside of the doctor's office with her nanny in tow. She was beyond excited because after a year of playing school with her dolls and teddies at home, she was finally going to school for real. Though her father allowed her to attend private pre-k, her nanny had always told her that public school was much different. She explained that in order to attend public school, she had to get shots. Mercedes remembered getting shots before but she couldn't remember exactly how it was administered. Her nanny, Tina, made sure to not even bring that up. She was just happy that Mercedes was excited about it.

"Mercedes, come sit next to me." Tina said as she tapped the seat next to her. Mercedes looked over at the seat before looking over at the play area that was at the far end of the office.

"But, Ms. Tina, I want to play." she whined before poking her bottom lip out. Tina could never say no to Mercedes when she made that adorable face and it seemed as if Mercedes knew about it. Tina became her nanny right out of the hospital. Seeing Mercedes tiny little body for the first time cause Tina to love the little girls as if she were her own. At times she allowed Mercedes to get away with murder.

"Please Ms. Tina with a chuhwee on top."

"Fine...but don't move from my eyesight." Tina added as Mercedes already turned and ran towards the play area. Tina made her way to the front and signed them in before handing the insurance card. She crossed her fingers that today went off without a hitch, because next week Mercedes would be in school.

Mercedes smiled as she looked at all the toys that were available for her to play with. She had just as many at home, as her father spoiled her with everything she ever begged for. Being an only child, she was happy that she was the only one there because she was ready to play with all of them without sharing. She placed each doll in different sections in front of her before holding up one of the dolls. She was prepared to play out how she assumed her doctor's visit was going be. Just as she was preparing to play with one of the dolls, she heard a sound that caused her to pause.

"No...no...please. I'll be a good boy, I promise." she heard the sound of a little boy crying. He was begging softly as first and then another voice began to speak back to him.

"This won't even hurt. It will be like a pinch."

"Pinches hurt." he replied.

"Look you have to be brave." she heard another voice say. Mercedes looked back at Tina with a worried look on her face. She could tell from the look on Ms. Tina's face that she was worried as well. Unfortunately, they were both worried about something different. Mercedes was worried that the little boy was in fact about to get hurt. Tina was worried that Mercedes was going to remember how much shots actually hurt. She walked over to Tina and looked back at the door.

"Ms. Tina, is he going to be okay?" she asked.

"Oh yes. Of course. He's just not as brave as you are." Tina replied. Mercedes looked over at Tina then back at the door for a few minutes as the boy continued to plead. She looked back at Tina before asking:

"Brave? Why does he have to be brave?" she asked. "Do shots hurt?" Mercedes asked as Tina tried to look away. She always knew Mercedes was a smart little girl. It was hard to pull the wool over her eyes. Just as Tina was about to respond, the little boy began to scream bloody murder.

"Ouch!" he screamed, causing Mercedes to look over at the door with fear.

"Just a few more, you're being so brave." Mercedes heard another voice say. At this point, Mercedes was scared. She was no longer excited about this experience at all. A tear fell from her eyes before she looked back at Tina.

"I don't wanna do this anymore." she whimpered.

"Oh no Mercedes, you can't do this right now." Tina replied.

"I don't wanna do this anymore." she repeated before throwing a tantrum that was worse than Tina had ever seen before. She was on the ground rolling around and screaming. She began to kick at the chairs and calling out for her father. Between the little boy screaming inside of the office and Mercedes screaming out in the lobby, Tina was at a lost. "I want my daddy!" she repeated over and over. Tina looked nervously at the nurse that glared at her and Mercedes.

"Okay, okay, let me reschedule this appointment for another day, but eventually, you will be right back here. Don't you want to just get it over with?" Tina asked as she tried to reason with a five year old.

"I don't care." Mercedes responded as she began to calm down. Almost as if they were timed, the little boy stopped crying as well. "I want my daddy."

"Okay, let's go home then." Tina replied before walking over to reschedule the appointment. She was going to have to ask Dr. Jones to call over a favor from one of his private doctor friends. Hopefully they can come over to give her these shots. Tina did not think that Mercedes would get scared like this just by hearing another kid cry. Mercedes had always been the type that made her own mind about things. She never let what another kid was doing or going through to stop her from experiencing it herself. But, the fear she saw in Mercedes eyes was enough to make Tina throw in the towel. "Come on, cry baby." Tina said as she extended her hand to her.

"I'm not a cry baby." Mercedes replied before taking Tina's hand. Tina playfully teased her some more till the little girl allowed a smile to spread across her face. "I'm a big kid."

"Big kids are brave. And don't let someone else influence their actions."

"Influence? What does that mean?" Mercedes asked as they made their way towards the door. As Tina explained what the word meant, Mercedes looked back just as the kid that was crying walked out of the office. Mercedes frowned as the boy was still in tears whilst holding his mother's hand. He looked at her briefly then looked down to the ground. Mercedes knew she got away with not getting the shots today but eventually she would be crying just like that boy. She wished she could console him but she wanted to be out of there as quickly as possible.

* * *

Mary was so excited about what was happening in the following week. Since they had Sam, they had struggled with paying for daycare. Signing up Sam for kindergarten was what they needed more than anything. Especially after Dwight lost his job a few weeks back. At first, she stayed home with Sam but Dwight was drowning trying to pay all the bills on his own and he was a proud man. He refused to tell her that he couldn't handle it so she took a position at a local law office. Even with her income added, they took eight steps forward and six steps back when it came to daycare. And when Dwight lost his job, her income became the sole bread winner and daycare was killing them completely. Sam getting his shots today meant that he would start school, which would save them three hundred a week.

"Mommy, is this going to hurt?" Sam asked as he listened to Mary answer questions that the doctor asked. His mother gave his hand a slight squeeze to quiet him down. He sighed and looked around the room. In the corner, he noticed a poster that showed a kid smiling after getting shots. "Guess it won't hurt." he reasoned with himself and continued to look around the room.

"Alright, Sam, you just need four shots to get you on your way to kindergarten." the doctor smiled as she began to place gloves on. "Are you excited?"

"Uh...yes." he lied. He was not excited at all for it, but he'd learn early to just tell grown ups what they wanted to hear.

"Great. Let's get started then." she held one of the needles and immediately Sam knew that the kid on the poster was lying. He was smiling and just showing what the adults wanted to see. Sam saw right through those smiles and knew he had to plead.

"Uh...Mommy, I don't want to get shots." he cried.

"Please, Sam, you gotta be brave for mommy." Mary added as she held his hands. "Mommy will be right here."

"No, mommy please. No...no...please. I'll be a good boy, I promise." he cried and tried to inch away as the doctor made her way to him.

"Ma'am, can you please hold him still?" the doctor looked over at Mary with a smile still on her face. "Sam, this won't even hurt. It will be like a pinch."

"Pinches hurt." he replied without a thought.

"Look, you have to be brave, Sammy." Mary added before giving the doctor a quick nod. Before Sam knew what was happening, the doctor gave him the first shot. At first, Sam didn't feel the pinch that they mentioned. Seconds later, the pain was felt and intensified. Sam screamed and squirmed as much as he could but he was being held down by his mother. The doctor gave each four shots quick despite Sam's effort to make it impossible.

"It hurts, mommy!" he screamed and continued to cry.

"You did awesome, Sam." the doctor lied. Sam knew he did not do awesome. He never wanted to go through this ever again. This just made him hate school even more.

"You were so brave, Sammy. So brave." Mary repeated as she hugged him. Sam had since stopped wailing but the tears still flowed down his face as Mary walked him out of the room. "Your father will be so proud of you." Mary added as they stepped out to the lobby. Sam, still in tears, noticed a girl who looked like she'd been crying as well, leaving the office. He wondered if she'd just got her shots as well. He wondered if she'd heard him screaming. Immediately overtaken with shame, Sam quickly looked away from her. He was not brave, and his father should not be proud at all.

"Don't tell daddy that I cried." Sam stated as Mary helped him get into the car. Mary looked at him with a smile and buckled him in.

"I never planned on telling him that. All I was going to tell him is how brave you were. We are both proud of you, Sammy." she added before closing the door.

* * *

When Mary walked into their house, Dwight had a smile on his face that she had missed seeing for so long. She quickly made her way to him and kissed him as Sam came strolling in heads down. He was still ashamed for crying and prayed he would never have to go through it again. He sat down and watched as his mother lied about his bravery at the doctor's office. Then they began talking about what was making Dwight happy.

"So, that's why you've been quiet lately? You had something up your sleeve?" Mary asked.

"I didn't want to jinx it. I hate that it has come to this but I know that this job will bring new opportunities for us as a family." he explained proudly. Mary didn't want to rain on his parade but she was not a fan of having to start over again.

"I will have to quit my job and start over."

"You won't have to work at all. Just like when Sammy was a baby." Dwight added with a genuine smile. Although Mary loved staying home with Sam, she also lost contributing to the household. "Sam will be in school now and you can sign him to soccer, baseball, karate...you name it. This opportunity will be everything we ever wanted."

"I am so proud of you, honey." Mary replied as she tried to figure out why it felt as if Dwight was selling her a dream. When they first moved to Lima, he spoke to her with this enthusiasm as well. "What are you not telling me, Dwight?" she asked causing the smile on his face to slowly wither away.

"Look, I've already done my research and I have everything set up for us so that this is all smooth."

"What are you not telling me?"

"I can't stay home and watch you pay all the bills."

"Dwight?"

"The job offer is back home." he replied softly. Mary felt winded as she quickly sat down and looked over at Sam.

"Home?" Mary asked. "This is our home, Dwight. Lima has been our home since we brought Sam here."

"Home is wherever we make it." Dwight replied. "The job is willing to cover relocation cost and if you don't wanna stay home, you can get a job too." he added before pulling her to him. "Honey, the past few weeks, we went days having to get donated food just to feed Sam. I can't live like that anymore. I can't watch my family suffer." Sam wasn't sure what his mom and dad were talking about but he could see the sadness in their eyes. Forgetting about his shots and embarrassment, he made his way over to his parents.

"Are you sad because I wasn't brave today?" Sam asked as he nervously looked over to his father. "I will be better tomorrow. I won't cry."

"Sammy, you can't get any better than you already are. We love you whether you cry or don't cry." Dwight replied as he hugged Sam and looked over at Mary. "We are going to be okay, I promise." Mary made her way over and hugged her family.

* * *

**Thanks for continuing to read. And thank you for the reviews. I know so far it seems more about everyone around Samcedes, just be patient. Samcedes will meet several times without actually meeting. I hope you all continue on this journey with me cuz Lamia is still bullying me yall. Send help lol**


	4. Chapter 4

**Preteens**

The Evans' family moved away Lima and decided to settle in a small town in Kentucky where Dwight had a decent paying job. For a while things were going great. Mary stayed home and focused on taking Sam to his soccer practices and guitar lessons. With Dwight being the sole income of the household, it eventually became more than they could bear. And when Dwight's job began to reduce his hours it became harder to hide it from Sam. As far as Sam knew, he thought the family never had financial issues. He didn't know that there were times that his parents had to pick and choose which bill to pay. He started to notice things when he started the 6th grade and all his clothes were hand-me-downs. He over heard his parents arguing about Mary wanting to get a job to help out with the bills. Eventually Dwight got over his pride and supported his wife getting back out there. She had a few temp jobs here and there which helped put food on the tables while Dwight paid for the bigger bills. Sam still could tell that things were still tough. So, when his school passed around fliers of a summer camp that was known to be extremely popular amongst the preteens all over the nation, Sam stared at it with sadness.

"There's no way I'll be able to go." he mumbled to himself as he looked the cost for room and board for the summer. He crumpled the flier and placed it in his pocket then made his way home.

Later that week, Mary was doing laundry and noticed the flier in his pocket. For a while she wondered if Sam understood that they were struggling and the flier pretty much confirmed it. Mary's heart was broken. She never wanted Sam to want something and for him to not be able to ask her for it. She quickly tossed the laundry into the wash then made her way over to the computer. She looked up the number to the camp register and decided it was time she gave her boy something that would make him happy. Once the school year was over she couldn't wait till he came home to surprise him with what she'd done.

"Sam, come here. We have some news for you!" she shouted when she heard the door shut. She tried to hold the smile that was begging to spread across her face as she watched him step into the living room nervously.

"Yes, mom." he replied. Sam wasn't sure what was going on and he quickly tried to remember if he did something that he would be in trouble for. As he racked his brain, his parents began to talk and he tried to pay attention.

"Sit down." his mother gestured for him to sit across from them. Sam immediately knew something was wrong. The only time they had sit down chats were when he was being lectured or grounded. Either way, was trouble for him.

"You know recently, mom has been working and normally she's home with you for the summer." Dwight began.

"I don't want you to spend your entire summer home alone with a baby sitter..."

"I don't need a sitter anymore. I am twelve." he quickly interjected.

"Don't interrupt your mother." Dwight added. "Go on, honey."

"I was doing your laundry and found this in your pocket." she unfolded the paper and placed it in front of him. Sam looked at the flier as if he was trying to figure out a way to explain it. "Why didn't you tell us that you wanted to go to this camp for the summer?"

"Because..." he mumbled under his breath. He wasn't sure if he was in trouble for not showing the flier or if he was in trouble for wanting to go and not telling them. Either way, he smelled trouble in the air.

"Because is not an answer, son." Dwight stated. "Do you want to go to this camp?" he asked as Sam tried to figure out if he was being set up. What exactly was their angle, he wondered.

"No...I mean...yeah...I don't know..."

"It's either you or you don't, son?"

"I do. I did. I know we can't afford it. And I don't want to make you guys argue about it so I just thought I'd say forget it." Sam confessed. Mary's heart sank but then she quickly placed a smile on her face.

"Sammy, listen to me." she made her way over to him and tilted his chin. "Your father and I do not want you worrying about finances, okay? If you want something, especially something beneficial like this camp, you tell us okay? You let us worry about how we can make that happen. You got it?" she asked as he looked back at her with eyes that told her he really thought he was in trouble.

"Yes, mom. Next time I will tell you."

"Don't worry. I have already packed for us to go. We leave first thing in the morning. I made some calls and got us in." she smiled. Sam stared at her for a minute as he took in what she was saying. He looked over in the corner next to the sofa there was two dufflebags. He couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face as he hugged his mother tight.

"I get to go? Are you for real!" he hugged her tighter. "Thank you, mom..." he kissed her cheek then made his way to his father and hugged him as well. "Thanks dad."

"Your mother did it all. I'm going to miss the two of you so much." he added causing the smile on Sam's face to slowly disappear.

"What do you mean you're going to miss us? I'm the only one leaving. Mom will be right here." Sam added with a look of confusion on his face. His parents both began to laugh as they tried to explain it all to him. It was then he noticed that his mother's dufflebag was right next to his.

"Sammy, I'm going with you. I got a job at the camp and because I will be working there they gave us a huge discount. You're practically going to the camp for free." she boasted. She was beaming with pride but Sam was slowing going into panic mode. He loved his mother, more than anything but there was definitely no other kid going to camp with their mother. And there she was smiling at him with pride while he had a panic attack trying to figure out how to tell her that he didn't want her to come with him. "What's wrong?" she asked as she noticed the nervous look on his face.

"Maybe I shouldn't go." Sam said as he slumped down on the chair. Mary's mouth flew open in shock and before she could say anything, Dwight jumped in and put Sam in check.

"Young man, we did not raise you to be ungrateful. Your mother sacrificed a lot to get you into this camp. We moved a lot of things around as well just so you can experienced this. You will be going. You will be grateful. And you will apologize to your mother right now!" he stated sternly. Sam hated that he made his mother feel as if he didn't appreciate her or the things she sacrificed. So he slowly got out of his seat and made his way to her mother.

"I am sorry, mom. I can't wait to go to camp with you. I am so grateful that you gave birth to me. You're the best mom ever." he said as he wrapped his arms around her. She didn't hug him back because his words stung her but she knew he didn't know better. When she hesitated to hug him back, Sam assumed her feelings were still hurt. "Seriously mom, I am happy you're coming with me. I love you, mom." he added before kissing her cheek. She forced a smile on her face and hugged him before he assumed she was upset with him.

When they arrived at the camp, Sam immediately noticed a group of boys laughing and pointing in his direction. His mother was oblivious and kept trying to hold his hand. To avoid being the brunt of every joke, he quickly decided to offer to hold her luggage instead. Once they were inside, Sam decided to change. He hoped that his change of clothes would make him look as if he belonged. He put on a dark black hoodie and jeans that his mother told him she bought high-end and stepped outside with pride. He couldn't wait to finally feel as if he was where he was meant to be.

* * *

Back in Lima, things were sort of great for Mercedes. Although her father was always busy, he spoiled her with everything she ever wanted to make up for it. Mercedes, now a preteen, was already a strong independent young lady. She already knew what she wanted to do with her life and showcased it with every chance she got. At church, or at school, and the musical camp, Mercedes was known for her beautiful voice and no nonsense taking attitude. She'd begun going to the musical summer camp since she was ten and every time she went there, she ruled the the camp, was where she able to really show that she was meant to be a star. She wished her mother was alive to see her, she wished her father was able to come see her perform. As she rode to the camp with her nanny next to her, she played with her charm bracelet that her father gave her when she turned ten. Until that day, she thought her father didn't want anything to do with her and only cared about his practice, but that day changed it all. For her tenth birthday, he told her all about her mother. She had never heard her father speak about her mother the way he spoke of her that day. He explained how he hated not being there when she came into the world. How he was not there to help Cassandra make it through. He explained that he blamed himself every day and even more whenever he looked at Mercedes. He explained that Mercedes looked and sounded just like her mother.

"Your mother always believed that everything happens for a reason." Ed smiled as he handed Mercedes the giftbox. She opened it and smiled at the charm bracelet that had the initials EH4AR. "Although I blame myself for her not being here, I keep hearing her say those five words. So, I want you to carry her with you, everywhere you go just like I do." he added. "I know she's up there watching us and I know she's proud of the young lady you've become." So, whenever she was sad or nervous or unsure, she would play with the bracelet and pretend that her mother was saying those words to her. If her father saw her mother in her, she wanted to make sure she lived up to it and really made her proud.

"Are you nervous about your last year at Musical Camp?" Tina asked causing Mercedes to look her way. Mercedes wanted to tell her that she wished she knew her mother. She wanted to say that although she loved her nanny, she would give Tina up without a thought if it meant she could spend a day with her mother. But, she would never say that out loud. She loved Tina and she was all she ever knew.

"No, I'm going to enjoy every minute of it." she replied instead just as the car arrived. "Are you coming to the end of camp showcase?" Mercedes asked as they took out her luggage from the trunk.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Tina added before kissing her on the forehead. She knew that Mercedes wanted her there but she really wanted her father there. There were days that Tina wanted to tell Dr. Jones that he needed to be more present but when she saw the despair in his eyes whenever he got home, she just left well enough alone. "Enjoy your time at camp." Tina added before hopping back into the car. Mercedes waved her goodbye before making her way to her room. She had the same bed that she always had but she knew if she didn't quickly set it up, someone else would claim it for themselves. Once she placed her things on her side of the bed, she paused when she overheard a commotion outside of her bedroom. She looked out the window and noticed Noah Puckerman and Dave Karofksy bugging a kid that wore a black hoodie and jeans, around them a crowd began to grow but no one intervened. Mercedes hated bullies more than anything and she was not going to stand around while someone was being bullied.

"Look at his shoes. What are thooooooose?" Karofsky asked as Puckerman laughed. "What are you even doing here? Can't you see you don't belong? Tell your broke mother to take you the cheap camp at her church or something." he added as the crowd instigated the entire seen. Mercedes quickly made her way over to them and stepped in between them.

"I know you're not trying to bully someone up in here?" she asked challenging him to lie about what was happening. "It's the first day of camp, and instead of making friends or hanging with your friends, you guys are bullying? Are you serious?"

"Get out of here, Mercedes! Nobody was talking to you." Karofsky replied as he tried to push Mercedes aside.

"Well, I'm talking to you." she challenged. "And I wish you would touch me one more time. I dare you." she stepped closer to him.

"Oh don't think I won't hit you just because you're a girl."

"I dare you, Karofsky. Please, please, please give me a reason to show everyone what I learned in karate this year." she added stepping closer to him. Puckerman noticed that Mercedes was serious, decided it was time to step in.

"Karofsky, I won't let you hit a girl." he stated stepping between them. "Come on, before you get kicked out of camp on our last year here." he pushed Karofsky back till he finally agreed to walk away. Mercedes feeling good about helping someone, turned to talk to the new kid but sighed when she noticed he didn't stick around to see her defend him. She looked around for him but realized all she was able to see was that he was blond. She walked around asking everyone if they saw a blond boy around the camp but no one knew who she was talking about. She made her way towards the lake and noticed someone seated next to a tree with a black hoodie. He had his head in his lap as if he were crying. She hated that Karofsky and Puck made him cry. She made her way over to him and sat next to him in silence for a moment. He looked up briefly, not looking her way but mumbled before placing his head back.

"Do you know that I have been looking everywhere for you and you end up here." She chuckled. "This has been my favorite spot since forever. Well, since I was ten and came here for the first time. Back home, they don't have lakes this pretty but once, my dad took my nanny and me to one of his cabins. There was this beautiful lake there. If you like this one, you'd love that one."

"Leave me alone." he mumbled.

"I'm going to pretend that I understood what you mumbled." she sang cheerfully. "It sound like you said "Thank you for saving my butt back there and defending my honor"." she mocked giving him a nasally voice.

"I don't sound like that and I didn't ask you to butt in."

"You didn't have to ask. Everything happens for a reason." she added before jiggling her bracelet. "Don't listen to Karofsky. You belong here. You were meant to be here or else you wouldn't have been here."

"You're not making sense."

"I think I make perfect sense. You just don't get it."

"No, you just don't get it." he added as he lifted his head but turned away from her. "You're some rich girl, who belongs here. My mother had to beg for me to be here." he quickly got up. "Everything happens for a reason? Maybe you're right. Maybe I guess Karofsky or whatever you called him was supposed to give me a wake up call so that I can tell my mother to take me home where I belong." Mercedes wanted to say that he took what she said wrong but he was already gone.

* * *

**hey, so they kind of met...or did they? Like I said, they will continue to almost meet until that joyful day when they stop meeting at the fork in the road.**

**Thank you for continuing to read even Sam and Mercedes have not really had much convo. This is the first time that they've spoken to each other. And Lamia I should punish you and make Samcedes meet as elders lol **

**Also, don't blame Dwight, he's trying to provide for his family.**

**Also for the bullies in the reviews, Mercedes don't like yall-Lamia, Mowatts, Nae...all yall**


	5. Chapter 5

**Teen years**

Sam and his mother left camp later that day after he explained what had happened to him. Mary made a few calls and found a drama camp across the lake that was willing to take her and Sam. Although it wasn't a musical camp, deep down Sam was grateful that his mother was able to make something happen. He hated that he had to leave but once he was at the new camp, he immediately became friends with a boy named Jake, that he would keep for a long time.

A month after they returned home, Mary fell sick. She claimed it was probably due to the water from camp but Sam wasn't sick. He went back to school and kept in contact with his friend Jake. He wasn't sure at the moment if he would have liked drama camp as much as he thought he was going to like Musical Camp, but he loved it. He found out in acting that he could be anyone he wanted. He could have the life he wanted. He could escape the impoverish reality that was his life. Though his parents tried to do everything to keep him from seeing their struggles, Sam was not as oblivious as they'd hope. His mother was still sick months later and couldn't work, she spent most days in bed, but this day, she was seated in the living room with his father with a blanket over her.

"Uh...hey mom...dad." Sam said as he walked into the house and dropped his backpack on the ground.

"Come here, son. We have some news." his father said. Sam slowly closed the door as he tried to read the looks on their faces. The last time he had a chat with them there, she surprised him with the news about going to camp. Sam smiled as he made his way over to them and sat down. "I know you've been wondering about what's been going on with your mother."

"Is everything alright, mom?" Sam asked as he looked between the two. Mary slowly removed the blanket and stood up causing Sam to stare at her in shock. "What's going on here?" he asked.

"We wanted to wait to tell you. I wanted to be sure but after I fell sick, I went to the doctors and they told me I was pregnant." Mary explained with a smile as she rubbed her belly. Sam stared at her stomach then looked over to his father. He didn't know what to say so he just stared with a look of confusion. "Look, I didn't believe it either. I'm old and I didn't think I could ever get pregnant at all..."

"Other than with me, right?" Sam interjected. She looked at him as if she was trying to gather her words before Dwight jumped in to help her.

"She means after you. You were our miracle baby too." he added. Mary walked over to Sam and sat next to him before explaining why she waited to tell him.

"I am about five months now and I feel its safe that you know what's going on. Why I've been practically living in bed. The doctors placed me on bedrest because, I'm not young and also because I am carrying twins." she added and watched Sam look back at her belly in shock once again.

"Twins?"

"Yes, son. One boy and one girl." Dwight added as he showed Sam the sonogram. Sam looked at the sonogram as he allowed everything to seep in. He was about to have siblings. For a brief minute, he was happy but then reality set in. How were they going to afford two more mouths to feed. He was only twelve and even he knew this was not a good time for babies.

"Can we afford twins right now?" Sam asked causing his parents to now be the shocked ones. Once he asked the question, he immediately regret it as his mother began to tear up.

"Excuse me?" Mary asked as she looked at him.

"Sam, our finances is not something we want you to worry about. We will take care of these new babies the same way we take care of you. You have a roof over your head and food in your belly daily. And, not that we need to explain this to you, but I will be getting a promotion soon. Everything will be just fine." Dwight explained. Sam wasn't sure if his father was telling him or just trying to convince himself that he could handle two more kids. "I promise, things will be looking up around here." Sam didn't believe it but he didn't want to hurt his mother again, so he forced a smile on his face and hugged her.

"Sorry mom, I didn't mean to make you cry. I can't wait to meet them." he kissed her cheek as she hugged him back. "Can I name the boy twin?"

* * *

Back in Lima, Mercedes returned home from camp to Tina waiting on her to arrive so that they can shop for school. Every time she returned home from camp, she would pray that her father would be there to welcome her home. Tina already told her that he wouldn't be even though Mercedes already knew that he wouldn't be home and continued to ask her if she was okay. She pretended as if it didn't bother her by being overly enthusiastic about going back to school. Tina, who knew Mercedes more than anyone, continued to ask her if she was okay.

"Miss Tina, I am fine. I promise. Dad is never around, but his money is." she sang as she flashed her father's emergency credit card that he gave her.

"Mercedes, are you sure you don't want to discuss this. It's okay if you're upset about this." Tina said as Mercedes rolled her eyes. She normally would vent to Tina, but she'd learned early that Tina would try to fix things by telling her father. Mercedes would sit around hoping that Tina could make her dad be a bit more present, but the fix would be quick then he'd return back to being the same.

"I'm not a baby anymore, Miss Tina. I want to go shopping for school. Can we do that instead?" she asked as she jumped out of the car before Tina could ask her once again. Tina continued to observe Mercedes as she shopped. And when she was inside of the dressing room she quickly contacted Dr. Jones.

"Tina, is everything okay?" he immediately asked. "I was going to call to check in..."

"Everything is fine, which is why everything is not fine." Tina whispered and kept her eyes on the dressing room door.

"I am not sure I follow." Dr. Jones replied. "And, why are you whispering? What is going on?"

"Your daughter needs you."

"Is she okay?"

"She says she's okay which means she is not okay." Tina explained.

"If Mercedes says she's okay then she is okay. She's just like her mother, she never holds anything back." Dr. Jones responded.

"Listen, she's not okay. And if you don't make a change, you will regret missing out on this time with her." Tina replied. "I know your wife didn't give up her life for you to just ignore her daughter."

"Tina, I know you feel strongly about this and you love my daughter, but if you really love this job I would avoid talking about my late wife."

"I...I am sorry...I just..."

"I know what you just." he cut her off before sighing. He knew what she said was the God's honest truth but he hated hearing it. He knew if Cassandra was watching him right now she would have left him. "I will talk to Mercedes tonight. I promise."

"Would you like for me to be there to help guide you both through this?" Tina asked. "You know I graduated from with a degree in child physiology."

"Tina, don't push it. I will see you both tonight." he quickly hung up the phone before he fired one of the best things to ever happen to him and Mercedes.

* * *

**5 years later**

Sam pushed up his bedroom window and tossed his backpack out of the window. It was thirty minutes passed midnight and he was supposed to meet with his two best friends from school hours ago. His best friend from camp, Jake was in town and he invited Sam to a party that he said Sam couldn't miss. Sam had asked for permission but his parents told him that he couldn't go. Normally Sam would listen but things had become shaky for the family and Sam had found his rebellious streak. He was 17 and within a week he was going to be 18, it was time he started to do things his way. Especially if he planned to move out after his birthday to head out to California with his best friend, he needed to start making moves now.

After the twins Stacy and Steven were born, Sam threw himself into big brother mode. He helped his parents in every way that he could and just as things were looking up for them, once again Dwight lost his job. The company that he was working for went under and they were once again on the move. Dwight promised them once again that this would be the last time they moved. He told them that he had a good conversation with an old pal of his back in Lima, who was willing to hook him up with something until he could find something better. Dwight never did find anything else, so eventually Mary and Sam both had to get a job. Sam had a dog walking job and Mary worked as a temp worker again.

When they relocated to Lima, Sam met Mike Chang and they became best friends as if they'd known each other forever. They were both football players at McKinley and a part of the glee club and drama club. Mike was more into dancing but as an overachiever he joined almost every club at the school. Sam wished he could do the same, but between babysitting, school work, and his afternoon job, he only had time for football and glee club. He had dreams of becoming a rich and famous actor to save his family from the crazy life that they've had so far. And in order to do that, Jake told Sam that he needed to be at this party that night and he needed to move to LA after he graduated. Only problem was that no one in his family knew of his plans, and he knew once they did they would talk him into staying to help with the twins.

"Sammy, where are you going?" he heard his little brother Steven say as he rubbed his eyes. Sam walked over to Steven and sat on the bed before tucking him in.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Yeah, I'm not a tattletale like Stacy." he proudly stated. Sam smiled and gave him a quick nod.

"Cool. I am just stepping out to meet up with Mike but I will be back. If mom and dad come in here..."

"Tell them you're sleeping. I know." he reminded Sam proudly. Sam smiled and made his way out of the window. He wasn't sure what he was about to get into but he was hopeful that it would set off the rest of his life. Sam made his way towards the location that Mike told him that he'd be waiting for him. Once he met up with Mike they drove over to where Jake was to pick him up.

"So what kind of party will this be? Did he tell you?" Mike asked Sam as they pulled up to where Jake was staying.

"He didn't tell me much but he said that everybody who's anybody will be there. And that if we want to make it in Hollywood, we have to be at this party." Sam responded as they watched Jake step out.

"And you met him at camp?" Mike asked just as Jake made his way to the car. Mike wasn't too sure about Sam's best friend from camp but he'd heard about Jake every day since Sam moved to Lima.

"Sup fellas!" Jake said as he closed the door behind him. "Thanks for the ride, man."

"I'm not just a ride. Sam said you'll get us in this party tonight." Mike stated as he looked over at Sam.

"Chill, Mike, Jake's going to get us in. He has all the connects." Sam looked back at Jake then placed a fist near him and smiled when Jake gave him a pound. During the years, Sam had not been back to drama camp but Jake continued to go or at least that's what he told Sam. He continued to tell Sam about different opportunities that were presented to the kids that returned to camp. No matter the story, Sam ate it all up. Mike was not as naive so when they arrived at the parties location, he took small steps towards the line that was set up at the door.

"Alright, follow me. My brother Noah told me that he's already inside of the party and to meet him in the back where he would sneak us in." Jake said with a smile. Sam prepared himself to follow him but Mike didn't.

"That's your plan? To sneak us in?" Mike asked causing Jake and Sam to look back at him.

"Trust me..."

"See that's the problem. I don't trust you."

"Hey Mike man, what's your problem?"

"Suit yourself then, man." Jake replied as he continued to walk away then stopped to see if Sam was following. "Are you coming or staying? 'Cause I'm going in whether I'm with you two or not." Sam looked between his two best friends and frowned. He had hoped they all could have gotten along but it was obvious at this point that it wasn't going to happen. Mike hated that Sam looked torn and he wished he could just help him see how sketchy Jake was. Mike looked over at the front of the door where people were lined up and smiled when he noticed someone he knew.

"How about I get us all in without sneaking?" Mike asked. "You see that lady over there." Sam followed where Mike was pointing and noticed it was directed at an Asian lady that was talking to who he assumed was the bouncer. "That's my aunt. She's cool and she'll get us."

"Are you sure?" Sam asked with an unsure smile. When Mike nodded, he turned to Jake and waved him over. "Come on, Jake." Jake paused then glared at Mike before reluctantly following them towards his aunt.

"Hey Aunt Tina!" Mike shouted causing everyone that was in line to look back at him. Tina looked at him and smiled the biggest smile causing Sam to feel a bit better that he chose to follow Mike over Jake.

"Is that my favorite nephew out here?" she asked as she walked over to him and hugged him. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to get into this party. It's my best friend's birthday today." Mike lied as he pulled Sam closer to him. Tina looked at Sam and then back at Mike before looking back at the bouncer.

"Let me see what I can do." Tina stated before walking back to the bouncer and pointing towards Mike and Sam. Sam looked back to see if Jake was near them but he was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Jake?" Mike asked as he looked back as well. When Sam shrugged, Mike shrugged as well. Deep down he was happy that he wasn't coming along. All the things that Mike has heard Jake tell Sam to do had always made him uneasy. Especially his decision to relocate to California after graduating instead of pursuing a higher education. He hoped that tonight would show Sam that he couldn't and shouldn't follow Jake to LA.

"Come on, boys! I got you in. Hope you enjoy your birthday, I have to go talk to the birthday girl." Tina said with a smile then whispered to Sam. "It's not really her birthday." Tina added before walking away from them. Sam didn't care, he was beyond excited once they were inside. The music was bumping and he was noticing a few kids from McKinley there. If this party was for the who's who of Hollywood, why were so many kids from his school there? And what were they doing in Lima?

* * *

It had been 5 years since that day Tina told Mercedes father to get his act together. When he came home he spoke to Mercedes and then they both went to therapy. For two years, Dr. Jones was a bit more active in her life but when Tina decided to quit so that she could start her own family with her new husband he fell back. As a teen, Mercedes was practically raising herself. Dr. Jones relied too much on the fact that Mercedes was a bit mature for her age. He didn't understand that because she was so mature that she would end up pursuing things that were beyond her years. When Mercedes was 15, she took her two best friends, Santana and Tesla, to an amateur club to perform. With their fake IDs in hand, they signed up to perform for the club knowing that some have gain recording contracts there. As they prepared for their performance, Mercedes eyed the crowd nervously. Just as she was starting to feel prepared to hit the stage her eyes fell upon a handsome man entering the club.

"Oh my God, is that the Brody Weston?" Tesla asked.

"Wait, who is he and why is he important right now?" Santana asked as she finished penciling in her eyebrows. Mercedes couldn't move as she stared at him and for a brief minute she thought that he locked eyes with her and smiled.

"Did he just smile at you?" Tesla asked. "He's a big time manager in the industry. I've heard my father talking to him once. We have to meet him." Tesla added. Her father was a recording artist back in the 80s and he'd been trying to get back into the industry for way too long.

"After we preform, he'll want to meet us. Trust me." Mercedes responded as she put on her lipgloss. "Let's go blow the roof off this place."

"Oooh I love it when you're confident." Santana added as they all made their way to the stage.

"Coming to the stage is a new amateur group that goes by the name MTS. Give it up for MTS singing Break Free!" the MC shouted before handing Mercedes the mic. She took a deep breath and began singing and locking eyes with Brody. She didn't care that he was obviously too old for her but she wanted him as her manager and as her boyfriend without even knowing him.

"If you want it, take it, I should have said it before, tried to hide it, fake it, I can't pretend anymore."

"I only want to die alive...never by the hands of a broken heart." Santana sang as she walked to the other side of the stage.

"I don't wanna hear you lie tonight...now that I've become who I really am." Tesla sang her portion and made her to the opposite side of the stage, making way for Mercedes to walk between them with the chorus.

"This is the part when I say I don't want ya..." she sang and smiled to her two best friends as they began to dance the choreo they set up. "I'm stronger than I've been before...this is the part when I break free...'cause I can't resist it no more!" they joined her as she repeated the the chorus. Santana and Tesla sang the second verse together and they continue to the chorus together once again. Once Mercedes knew her part was coming she decided to walk the crowd and made a beeline to Brody. "Thought of your body, I came alive...It was lethal, it was fatal...in my dreams it felt so right..." she placed on his shoulder and sang the last part at an octave that she knew would blow his mind. "But I woke up every time! Oh baby!" he smiled at her when she winked at him then made her way back to the girls on the stage as they sang the chorus once again.

"This is the part when I say I don't want ya...I'm stronger than I've been before...this is the part when I break free...'cause I can't resist it no more!"

"This is the part when I say I don't want ya...I'm stronger than I've been before...this is the part when I break free...'cause I can't resist it no more!" Mercedes belted out the last part of the chorus with a bright smile on her face.

Once they were done the crowd erupted with cheer and Brody stood to give them a standing ovation as well. The girls ran off the stage with pure excitement and when they were done celebrating, Mercedes scanned the crowd to see where Brody was but he was no longer at his seat. She suddenly didn't feel as confident any longer, but when they were leaving the club after winning the amateur night, he was outside leaning against his car whilst on the phone. Mercedes looked back at her two best friends and told them they could leave without her. Santana wasn't too happy about leaving Mercedes behind but she was adamant that Brody would take her home. Slowly walking away they watched as Mercedes made her way to Brody as he hung up his phone.

"You were amazing in there. I take it you won, huh?" he asked once she was in front of him.

"Yeah we won. You would've known if you stuck around in there." Mercedes replied. He smiled and looked at Santana and Tesla walking away then looked back at Mercedes.

"So, MTS, huh?"

"You ask a lot of questions. None of them being do you need a ride home." Mercedes responded as she reached for the door. He chuckled then opened the door to his car for her to enter.

"You're ballsy. I like it." he smiled and made his way to the driver side. "I'm Brody Weston, by the way."

"I'm Mercedes Jones, you're newest artist." she strapped herself in then waved goodbye to Santana and Tesla. Brody looked at the girls waving back at her then looked over at the ever confident Mercedes and it finally dawned on him how young she looked.

"Okay, I can dig that but I have one last question." he waited till she looked his way before asking. "How old are you?"

* * *

Sam and Mike looked around the party for Jake but when they didn't find him they decided to just enjoy the party. Sam couldn't believe that the party was held inside of a house that belonged to the party girl turning 18. His house was the size of her living room and she was able to have a house that huge filled with that many people trying to celebrate her birthday. He wished his life was even half way like hers. He knew she was living her best life there. He wanted to have that life as well. Although Jake couldn't get them inside of this party, he needed to find him so that they can talk about moving to LA after graduation. Once he knew about all the nooks and crannies of the plans then he could sit his family down and tell them everything.

"Be right back, I gotta look for Jake." Sam shouted over the music to Mike. He noticed Mike rolled his eyes and decided to pull Mike to the side. "Okay, seriously what's your problem with Jake? You've only just met him and you've been giving him flack ever since."

"Because he's a flake!" Mike shouted back. "I don't know why you don't see through his lies. He wasn't able to get you into this party..."

"You didn't give him a chance..."

"He was going to sneak us in, Sam!"

"So what?"

"And, you know what? I hate to be the guy to say it but I think it's a bad idea to follow him to LA!" He shouted back just as the music was lowered. Everyone in the house looked back at the both of them for a brief minute just as Tina got on the stage to introduce the birthday girl. Sam looked at Mike in disbelief and shook his head as he stormed out to look for Jake towards the back of the house.

"Everybody settle down! It's time for the birthday girl, the best kid a nanny could ever have, to come to the stage and sing us a song. I wish I could sing something for her but when you guys hear her voice you'll see why she is destined for big things." Tina boasted proudly. Sam was already out the door as he looked for Jake when the crowd cheered for the birthday girl. Sam noticed a swing at the back and made his way there to call Jake from his cellphone. Once he sat on the swing and got his phone out, he noticed a text from Jake saying that he went back home since Sam no longer needed him. Sam sighed wondering what could he do to fix his two friends. He was seconds from calling Jake to tell him to return to the party when he noticed his parents called him multiple times. He knew at that moment that they knew about him sneaking out so he decided not to call back or listen to the messages. Jake said he needed to be at this party so he was going to stay and figure out what lie he can tell his parents later on.

* * *

After meeting Brody that night at the club, Mercedes life took a turn for what she thought was the best. Brody agreed to be her manager but refused to date her because she was too young. Although he said that, Mercedes didn't take that as a no forever. She continuously flirted with Brody every chance she got and he continued to tell her she was too young. He pushed her to make a great album and slowly isolated her from her friends and family. By the time Mercedes was 17, Brody had complete control over everything she did. He convinced her to tell her father that she would be home schooled going further and that she needed all the time she had to record her album. Dr. Jones realized that Tina's warning had came back to bite him in the butt because Mercedes was so independent with Brody that she barely even came home at times. Due to not being at McKinley any longer, Mercedes grew up a lot faster than her friends and slowly lost contact with them by the time she graduated. She didn't care because that night was her party and she was going to make her last attempt on Brody to make him hers.

"Ain't no way...for me to love you. If you won't let me. Oh no." she scanned the crowd then settled in on Brody. He could tell that she was singing directly to him and that's what she wanted. She needed him to know exactly what she wanted for them. "Stop trying to be someone you're not! And if you need me to love you say, say, say you do. Baby baby baby, don't you know that I...need...you...it ain't no way."

Everyone was completely captivated by her voice as it took over the house and the speakers that were placed outside. Sam felt chills and goosebumps all over as he listened to the voice of the birthday girl. He stood up and looked back at the house as she began to sing a song from Dream-girls that he'd heard one of the girls sang at their glee club. Her version of And I am telling you put every version he's heard to shame. Though Sam was captivated by her powerful voice, her target Brody was taken by it as well but all he saw was the money they can make when she blew up. Once she was done singing and everyone was applauding her, she ignored em all. She was on a mission, she made her way towards Brody to see if he understood what she was sure she made clear.

"Mercedes freaking Jones! That's my girl..." Brody said but stopped when Mercedes pulled him into the hall and in one of the rooms near the back. She pinned him against the wall and kissed him. At first, he responded and kissed her back. When he held her, she finally let out a sigh of relief in between the kiss that seemed to have woke him up as he gently pushed her away. "Mercedes, we can't."

"What? Why? Why can't we?" she asked as he held her away. "I know you felt what I felt."

"You're too young, Mercedes."

"I'm 18. Legal. You're what 28. That's nothing."

"You're 17."

"I am 18 next week, Brody." she replied. "I have feelings for you. I've had feelings for you and you said you'd wait for me..."

"No...I said you were too young."

"Okay..."

"And you're still too young, Mercedes. Do you know the looks I'd get having you on my arm?"

"I don't care what people think. And you shouldn't either." Mercedes added. Brody's hands soften a bit allowing her to get closer to him once again. They kissed once again, but Brody still felt uneasy as he pushed away again.

"Let me think about it, okay?" he looked down at her as she glared at him. This was not the response that she wanted but it was better than him saying no. She watched as he walked out of the room and left her in the room fuming. She stomped out of the room and went to the backyard. She hadn't been on the swings in a while and it usually helped her feel better when she was upset. With a house full of party guest, she wasn't sure why she was shocked that someone was on the swings. She debated on going to her room instead but then remembered she'd have to go through all the party guest to get to her room. Reluctantly, she made her way to the swings instead.

"Mind if I sit?" she asked. Without looking her way, he shrugged then looked back at his phone. They continued to sit in silence for a minute as they both were in deep thought of their own situations. Mercedes played with her charm bracelet and wished her mother could have been there. She understood why Brody didn't want to be with her but that still didn't sit well with her. She hated that he was right about people judging him for being with her. She hated being young. And she hated that she was outside sitting in complete silence with a stranger. "So, why aren't you inside?" she asked then realized she asked the dumbest question ever.

"Why aren't you inside?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't ask that." Mercedes chuckled. "I guess I wanted to be alone. The house is full and a bit loud right now."

"I guess I wanted to be alone with my thoughts as well."

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked looking his way. Sam thought about what he'd been thinking about and wondered if maybe Mike was right or if Jake was right. And ultimately, how was all this going to affect the family. "Is it that deep?" Mercedes asked causing Sam to look her way and smile. For a brief minute, Mercedes was taken shocked at how handsome he was. Who the hell was this guy?

"It kind of is. I have to make a decision and it will more than likely cause some friction with my family and also with my two best friends."

"Hmmm...I guess I had the same situation not too long ago. It's tough, but when you become an adult you have to make adult decisions." Mercedes replied thinking about how she had to let her friends go to pursue her musical career.

"I'm only 17..."

"I guess I am only 17 too but 18 is right around the corner and every decision we make right now starts us on a path later. It's like we're at..."

"The fork in the road." Sam completed as they stared at each other.

"Yeah...a fork in the road. This moment matters. Whatever you decide you will either be happy later or regret it later. I made my decision and I think you should definitely follow your heart and make your decision as well. Those that love you will always care about you no matter what. And more than likely, they want the best for you."

"So, what you're saying is that I should just go to LA and deal with the consequences later?" Sam asked.

"Hell yeah. And you know what's funny? I'm heading to LA as well." she added with a smile. She was about to introduce herself but was interrupted just as Brody stepped out and called out to her.

"Mercedes! I've been looking everywhere for you." he walked over to her then looked over at Sam before looking back at her. "Can we talk inside, please?" Mercedes looked at him for a brief moment then took a deep breath before responding to him.

"Uh, yeah." she quickly got up and looked over at Sam and smiled. "Thanks for the chat and good luck in LA." Sam smiled back at her before looking at his phone and deciding it was time for him to head home and face the music. He looked back up and watched as she walked away and took a deep breath. He didn't know her name but her words of advice were going to be what he needed to tell his parents he was moving to LA to become an actor.

* * *

**Alright yall that was a doozy wasn't it. Sorry it took me so long to update. I kept falling asleep as I wrote it. Not because it was boring but because I have been doing a lot. Anyway, please be patient with samcedes, they have a lot in store for them. And they kind of met for the first third fifth time lol. I hope you guys stick around for the next update because it will be another doozy cuz a lot happens there too.**


	6. Chapter 6

It had been a couple years since the night of the party. That night replayed many times in Sam's mind. As he made his way home, he took the long way to get enough time to think of how he would break the news to his parents. He'd decided after his talk with the girl at the party that he would leave Lima for Hollywood after he graduated. He remembered getting numerous calls missed from his mother. He assumed it was because they found out that he wasn't in his room. He knew she'd be angry but he figured the long way home will give her time to calm down. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. When he made it home he found out that his choice to slip out in the middle of the night changed more than just his life.

Sam remembered the look on his mother's face, when she cried in his arm as she delivered the news that Dwight had gotten into an accident. For some time Sam blamed himself for what happened to Dwight that night. For that reason, he decided Hollywood would not be for him as he now had to step up and be the man of the house. Sam set out after graduation to find a job that could replace Dwight's income but all he could find was a cashier position at the local Dairy Queen. He was frustrated when he got his first check. It was barely enough to cover the gas bill. He watched as his mother struggled with getting the twins ready for school the following Fall season. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and decided it was time he really stepped up. He quit his job at the Dairy Queen and called a friend he hadn't talked to in a while.

"Whoa, talk about a blast from the past!" he heard the voice of his old best friend Jake say once the phone stopped ringing.

"Yeah I know." Sam couldn't help the smile that crept on his face. Since the party, Sam and Jake only spoke via text and social media.

"What's good, Sam?" Jake asked then spoke to someone from behind him. "Hey gimme a sec, it's my buddy Sam that I told you about." Sam listened as the voice of a woman responding to him as it sounded as if Jake was stepping away from her.

"I can call you back another time if this is a bad time." Sam proposed. He should have just sent a text but he really just needed to vent to somebody that would listen and have his back.

"Nah man, we good. It's good hearing from you. I been meaning to hit you up." Jake responded. "I really wished you would have came to Hollywood with me. I just met with this casting director named Finn Hudson...have you heard of him?"

"No...I don't think so." Sam replied as he tried to think of any casting director's names at all. He hated that he couldn't follow Jake to Hollywood but he knew he did the right thing staying with his family. They needed him. And now he needed Jake to help him figure out how to get more money.

"Don't worry about it. You'll meet him when you come out here. I think you'd be great on this new show that I just got a part in." Jake went on.

"Jake..."

"I can put a good word in for you."

"Jake, I didn't call for that. I can't move to Hollywood."

"Is this about the night your dad died again?" Jake asked as if he didn't already know. Sam had already told Jake that he couldn't leave Lima for that exact reason. "Sam, you know that shit was not your fault."

"It was my fault. Only reason he was out there that night was because I left and he decided to come look for me." Sam could feel himself getting frustrated because this was a conversation they'd already had. "Anyway, I am still going to stay to help support my mom and the twins."

"You can do that from here. Come on this show with me and make the big bucks and send it to your mom." Jake tried to reason.

"Look, my mom needs me here with the twins to help out. Hollywood will have to wait for now. I just need to find a better job than Dairy Queen and to still be home during the day to watch the twins while my mom works."

"Okay, I don't want to talk you out of being there for your family but I really feel you could be great on this show." Jake replied. "And since you insist on staying in lame ass Lima, I can call around and see if I can hook you up with something local."

"Wait, an acting job in Lima?"

"Sam be serious!" Jake scoffed. "There's no acting opportunities in Lima, but I think I have something you can do. You gotta be up for it though. It might not be up your ally."

"I am desperate. I'd do practically anything right now."

"Okay, first things first. Do you know how to dance?" Jake asked. Sam tried to replay the last few times that he had to dance. He was never the best but there was one dance move he felt got the ladies to look his way.

"I have a sick body roll, why?"

* * *

Though times were rough for Sam, things were looking differently for Mercedes. She was still in a relationship with Brody and he was still her manager. She had always been the independent type but ever since they moved to LA together and got their own apartment to share, it was just different. She was on her own here, no nanny and no daddy. Just Brody. He made almost every decision. And since she was living the Hollywood life on a high, it took her a while to realize he wasn't consulting her with any of the decisions he made. He would take her to different parties and functions, introducing her to all types of people. At first, she thought it was because he knew she knew no one and also to show her off because he was proud. Then she realized it was almost always about business. He marketed her everywhere and to damn near anyone. One day when she was home alone, she received a message from a casting director asking if he could meet with her about a show he was working on.

"You might want to reach out to my manager." she replied and tossed the phone aside. She wanted to focus on her music first before even trying to anything else. So far, she had no idea when she would even release any music at all. Brody rarely told her anything until it was ready for it to happen. And she was ready for it to happen.

"That's not how I operate. I like to reach the talent first then when discussing business we can include the managers." he replied. Mercedes looked at the message a couple times before looking at his name. She sat up and looked up Finn Hudson to see if he was legit. His handle had a blue check mark but she was skeptical either way. Why would anyone want her for acting and not singing?

"Whoa, he's legit!" Mercedes exclaimed as she looked at the credits he had. She quickly sent him a message back. "You want me to audition for your show?"

"No. I want you for my show. No need for audition. You're perfect." he replied back. She couldn't help but to smile as she read his response. "Meet with me. I will show you the script and you can tell me if we can cast you." she stared at his response for a quick second before replying.

"I'm a singer, you know."

"Yes, your manager introduced us and when I met you, I knew you were perfect for this role. I've heard some of your work, your voice is amazing." Mercedes clicked on his profile picture and tried to remember when she met him. Brody introduced her to so many people since they moved out there that she couldn't even remember if this even happened. "There's a lot of singing in this series. Your voice will be showcased to the world." Mercedes had to admit that she was intrigued by this part. If she couldn't get her album out there would it be so bad if she sang on a TV show instead?

"Can I think about it?" she asked. She waited for him to respond and instead of replying, she received an email from him with an attachment. She clicked on it and noticed that he just sent her the script. She spent the rest of the day reading it and fell in love with the character. The more she read it, the more she fell for the role and wanted it. The character that he wanted her to play was named Kendra. She was a no nonsense taking, talented singer that was goal focused and protective over her best friend Stella. Stella's character was a bit basic to Mercedes but Kendra definitely stood out. Mercedes felt as if she was reading a fanfiction about herself. She related so much to the character she didn't see how anyone else could dare play it. She couldn't wait to bring this up to Brody. So later that evening, as they ate dinner she decided to tell him that she wanted the role.

"So have you heard anything about releasing my album? Any dates or something? Anything?." She asked as she looked at him across the table. He had his phone in hand as he read whatever that was on it and gave her a half interested head nod. "Brody?"

"Yeah." he replied without removing his eyes from his phone. She decided that since he wasn't listening that she could just drop the bomb on the table and see what happens.

"So, since the album is just up in the air. I spoke to this casting director that you introduced me to and he offered me a role on his show."

"Oh yeah cool."

"Yeah, I accepted the offer." she lied to see if he'd react but he didn't respond so she restated it again. "Finn Hudson offered me a role on his new TV series and I told him that I would do it."

"Wait..." Brody finally realizing what was being said, placed his phone down and looked at her. "What did you just say?"

"I...uh..." she suddenly felt nervous and played with the food on her plate as she tried to find the words she just spoke. "I said that I was offered a role on a TV series. I read the script and enjoyed it."

"Mercedes, you're not accepting that offer." he replied matter-of-factly.

"But I already did." she lied again.

"Well I will speak with him and tell him that you were mistaken."

"But I wasn't."

"You were and you will or I will." Brody responded as he continued to eat. Mercedes stared at him as she wondered when did Brody become her daddy. She needed to put her foot down because he lost his ever loving mind all of a sudden.

"I wasn't. I won't and neither will you." she stood up and walked over to him. "Brody, I don't know what you think we have here but let me be clear...you are my boyfriend and manager. You are not my daddy. He barely could tell me what to do. What makes you think that you can?."

"Mercedes..."

"I am taking that role. I want it and I will do it. Make it happen." she added before taking her plate and his to the kitchen.

"I wasn't done eating." he mumbled. Once she was in the kitchen she sent a message back to Finn Hudson, saying that she was taking the role and couldn't wait to meet him and the rest of the cast.

"I am in control." Mercedes said to herself proudly.

The day Mercedes walked on set for the first time, she knew she made the right decision. She memorized the script, front and back. Even the part for the lead. She didn't care that she was cast as the best friend of the lead, the script showed her character had a better story-line. And when she saw the smile on Finn's face when he saw her walk in, it made her feel even more confident. He immediately made his way over to her and Brody. This was real. This was happening. She was about to be a star.

"Mercedes Jones. The Kendra for my Stella." Finn said as he extended his hand over to her. She quickly shook his hand and then looked over to Brody as he extended his hands to him. Brody stared at Finn's hand then slowly took it in his.

"Just so it is understood, any changes that happen to the script must come through me for us to agree that Mercedes continues to be a part of this." Mercedes rolled her eyes because this was the only way that she could get him to shut up about her deciding to be on the show.

"It's no problem. You have no idea how happy I was when you introduce us. She is every bit of Kendra and I can't wait for America to fall in love with her." Finn added as they continued to shake hands aggressively. Mercedes looked between the two men and sighed loudly as they finally parted.

"Can we get to work now?"

* * *

Months flew by and Sam was stripping and making enough money that his mother became concerned. He quickly lied that he was working extra hours and also assisting with catering on the side. She tried to tell him that he didn't need to work so hard but he wouldn't hear of it. Every time she became concerned he would just come up with a new lie to cover it up.

"Why do they make you put so much glitter on your face and clothes?" Mary asked as she tried to dust some of them off of his shoulder. "No matter how much I wash them the glitter stays on them."

"We catered a lot of little girls parties. One of the biggest packages is the Glitter Bomb extravaganza." Sam added. The lies came so easily now that it was getting ridiculous to keep up with them. "Little girls love them."

"Hmmm, you think Stacy would like that for her birthday?"

"She would but Steve wouldn't." Sam quickly responded as he sat next to her and placed his shoes on. Mary nodded as she turned the volume up on the TV that she was watching.

"Wait a minute, isn't that your best friend Jake?" Mary asked as Sam turned his gaze towards the television. Sam was shocked to see him on the TV living the dream he always wanted. Sam felt a bit envious, as he was supposed to be on this show with him. He felt a smile creeping on his face as he watched Jake perform his ass off. "He's doing amazing isn't he?" she asked.

"Yeah, anyway, I'm off to work now and will be back in the morning." he made his way out the door before his mother could ask another question.

That night as worked he tried not to think about Jake telling him that he could help his family from Los Angeles. He tried to think of how life would've been different if his father was still alive. If he had not gone to that party, he wondered if he would have been on the show as well. He hated feeling envious, especially since every thing wrong in his life was his fault. Although his mind was stuck on his current life situation, he didn't let it stop him from working and making the money that they needed.

"You requested a private session from White Chocolate?" Sam asked as he entered the private session room. He walked in assuming it would be yet another middle aged woman with a fetish for sexy young men but was shocked to see a man seated in the room. "Uh...hi." he quickly said wondering how he was going to do this. He had been stripping for quite some time now and he never had a private session for a man yet. He was warned that it would soon happen and today was that day. He turned on the music and began to slowly body roll.

"Sam Evans?" the man asked.

"Uh...yeah...how...how do you know my name?" Sam asked nervously as he turned the music off. "Do I know you?"

"No, but I know you." he responded. "I'm Finn Hudson. Do you know a kid called Jake? He told me I could find you here." Finn added.

"Jake...Jake Puckerman?"

"Yes. I offered him a shot on my show and he couldn't stop telling me how he thinks you'd be amazing on it."

"I...I...am speechless."

"It's okay. He already explained that my coming here is a long shot and that you might still say no to this offer. But, he said you were perfect for this role on this new character that I wanted to introduce to shake up the plot and after seeing you tonight...I agree. What do I have to do to get you to come be on my show?" Finn asked. Sam couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips as he thought of Jake hyping him up to be on the show. In another dimension or universe Sam would've screamed yes from the mountain tops but there was no way he could say yes.

"Look, Mr. Hudson..."

"Finn...call me Finn."

"Finn, I can't explain how flattered I am that you both feel I am perfect for this role. And, I wish I could say hell yeah to this opportunity but unfortunately I can't."

"Hey, look at me. I flew all the way from LA to this town that I never heard of. I did not come because I thought this was going to be an easy yes." Finn responded before reaching in his pocket for a card. "This is my card. It has all my contact information on it. This role is yours and the character won't see the light of day until you decide to take the role." Sam took the card in his hands and stared at it as if his life depended on it. "Take your time. The character I plan on introducing will not be a part of the series till after the fall break."

"I really want to..."

"That's all that matters." He said as he stood up. "I will leave before you finish that sentence with a but." Sam looked at the card again then took a deep breath as he watched Finn walk away.

* * *

**Hey you all...I am so sorry that I been M.I.A. I really lost my will to finish this fic. Not because of anything you all did but just because I was overwhelmed by how much will happen to them. Anyway, enough excuses, hope you guys enjoyed this part. I will try to get back to updating regularly. Updating it as much as I update my Samcedes Sims story on youtube lol.**

**Anywho...what do you guys think Sam will do? What do you think his character's role will be? Samcedes didn't interact but they will soon.**


	7. Chapter 7

It had been months since Mercedes had been on set. Brody had hopes that she'd grow tired of the set life or fail horribly with acting, but she shocked everyone. She played the role of Kendra so well that there were times that Brody worried that she was morphing into the character. This was something that he definitely did not want. To ensure that she remained the Mercedes he cultivated, he read every script before they were even presented to her. Each time he didn't like something he made a beeline to Finn to remind him of their agreement.

"Do you have a minute?" Brody asked as he barged into Finn's room. Finn was obviously occupied but he'd grown to know that Brody wouldn't leave till he got what he wanted. At first, Finn did whatever Brody wanted just to keep Mercedes on set but all the demands were getting on his nerves.

"What is it, Brody?" Finn asked as he glared his way. In Brody's hands was the script that Finn specified to be delivered to Mercedes directly but it always seemed to get intercepted by Brody.

"I took a look at the script for the next few scenes Mercedes would be filming and we have some issues."

"You have issues or Mercedes has issues?" Finn asked, knowing that this was just one of Brody's insecurities thinking Mercedes would fall in love with her co stars.

"We agreed that if she was to continue on this show that her character would focus on her career and her ambitions..." Brody replied without answering the question.

"Did you read the full script?" Finn interrupted.

"I skimmed it and noticed that this Mark character will be falling for her. You even have a kissing scene! We...Mercedes does not want kissing scenes!" Brody stated before slamming the script down on the desk. Finn grabbed the script as if he hadn't read it and flipped to the scene in question.

"Okay, I can have them make some changes here and there but the story-line will remain. We cannot change that part as it is important to the endgame of the show. The Mark character is played by Jake Puckerman and he is supposed to get tutoring from Kendra, Mercedes character, and fall for her but she will tell him that she does not share his feelings." Finn added with a nod. "That part cannot be changed."

"Okay, what about the kiss then? I know for a fact she does not want to kiss random guys for a TV show." Brody lied. He had no idea how she felt about it but last thing he wanted was to see his girlfriend kissing the hunks that were hired to play run of the mill kids in a musical show.

"We can change the kissing part." Finn agreed. "We can make Mark go in for the kiss with Kendra and have her reject him instead of letting him kiss her. Okay?"

"I guess we can work with that." Brody replied finally smiling. "When can Mercedes get the new script?"

"I'll send the revised script over asap." Finn sighed when Brody finally left his room. He was really tired of dealing with Brody but knew it was a wasted effort to try to get Mercedes to fire him. He knew he'd have to deal with nonsense like this when he decided to hire actors that were new to the game. He wanted to give a shot to the nobody's out there and now he was paying for it.

Later that day, Mercedes and Jake were both called over to speak with Finn. He watched as they nervously came over and waited as he got off the phone. Finn was making several calls as he tried to find a new love interest for his lead actress. He'd seen plenty actors and no one fit the vision he had for the character that he had in mind.

"I told you all that I am looking for a boy next door with a little bit of an edge to him. And I don't want any known celebrity for the reading. Don't call me till you have what I'm looking for." Finn added before hanging up the phone and smiling up at Mercedes and Jake. "Sorry about that guys."

"I'd hate to be whoever you were just talking to...geesh." Mercedes added with a giggle.

"I know somebody that fits that description perfectly." Jake added as he pulled out his phone. "If you want, I can give you his info."

"It's cool. That's not what I called you both in here for anyway." Finn said with a quick dismiss with his hand. Jake nodded and placed his phone back in his pocket and looked over at Mercedes.

"Did we do something wrong?" he asked nervously.

"No, you both have been amazing. I just made some changes to the scenes you both will be filming and I wanted to hand the script to you both myself. In the next few episodes, Mercedes will be playing your love interest..." he paused as Jake looked over at Mercedes once and again then smiled.

"Cool...that's awesome."

"How do you feel about that, Mercedes?" Finn asked as he watched her flip the pages of the script then smile back at him.

"I've never done love scenes before."

"Don't worry." Finn quickly interjected. He could tell from the frightened look on her face that maybe Brody was right about her not wanting any romantic scenes. "If you read the script, you will see it has been revised to so that Jake will be the one pushing the love scenes and you will only react to it. The kiss scene has been revised as well. Jake will try to kiss you but you will stop him and tell him the feelings he has aren't reciprocated." he watched to see if Mercedes would say thank you to the revision but instead a look of doubt spread on her face.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked then continued. "I know I said I've never done love scenes before but I have never been the type to push away opportunities to grow." she added. Finn admired her response but he decided that he wouldn't change the story back just yet. He needed Mercedes to deal with Brody first before he can push her in that direction.

"No, you did nothing wrong. I just decided last minute that this story-line is better. But, I am happy to know that we can revisit this later." he added with a nod before dismissing her and looking over at Jake. "Hang back a minute, Jake." he decided that if he was truly desperate then Jake's referral might be the guy he'd been looking for to play Joshua.

Mercedes walked out feeling a bit uneasy, something about the revision felt awfully weird. Especially since it seemed that since she became member of the cast, her portion has always been revised. She made a mental note, to discuss it later with Brody. She knew if she needed a word on how to address this that he would be the best person for it.

* * *

Sam didn't make much money that night. His mind was too focused on being sad that he could never take Finn up on his offer. He kept looking at the card every once and while till they sent him home for not dancing enough. When he got home his mother was in the kitchen cooking breakfast for the family. She only cooked breakfast when she was off so he made his way over to talk to her. He knew there was no way she'd understand his desire to go to LA. He had never mentioned it to her and right now was not the time. She needed him.

"Hey there Sammie boy." she greeted him with a tired smile as she set the table. "Go get cleaned up before you sit and eat with us." she instructed as she watched him try to slowly sit down then slowly get back up. "I know your tired but you have all that glitter on you again."

"I know...I know. I'll be right back." he replied as he made his way up the stairs. Once he was in the shower, he tried to envision himself working on that show with Jake. The more he thought about it the more he wanted to just do it. When he was done, he got out of the shower and dressed before running down to eat breakfast. Just before he could hit the last step, his mother shouted for him to do something else.

"Hey Sammie, can you bring down the box from the attic that has garage written on it. I need to go through it and see what I can pawn off. I'm just a tad short on the rent."

"Even with the money I gave you last night?" Sam asked as he pulled out his wallet to see how much he had in there.

"Yeah, that covered the gas, light and bought the groceries." she replied. Sam hated that he wasn't focused enough to make more money that night. He stared at what he had and sighed out loud before making his way back up the steps.

He made it to the attic and stared at the boxes that were all around then sighed once again. The last time he was up there, his father was still alive. The thought made Sam realize again that he needed to be in Lima. He was the reason Dwight was gone. He didn't need to go to that party that night. Nothing happened that night that he thought would've changed his life other than the talk he had with that girl. That talk made him feel he could make it out in Hollywood even if it took some time, but was it worth losing his father?

"Okay where's this box?" Sam asked out loud as he moved one box out of the way and then another. He noticed a box that said Dwight and paused as he placed his hand over it. "I'm sorry, Dad." he said softly then opened the box to look at what was inside. He noticed a couple old pictures of his parents before they had children. He smiled at how happy they looked. He noticed a pair of baseball gloves, one with his initials on it. He remembered playing catch with his father using that glove. It was so small he could bare fit his hand inside of his but he fit his father's perfectly. Just below the gloves was a picture of his parents holding him proudly. He looked as if he had just left the hospital but he didn't look like a newborn. Then his eyes fell upon another picture that had two babies held by nurses side by side. Sam picked up the picture and smiled as he noticed that one of the babies was him. He wasn't sure who the other baby was but on the back of the picture it said, Baby and Baby S. Fabray. Sam stared at the picture and tried to make since of it but what he feared he didn't want to be true. He took the picture and made his way down the stares and tossed it on the table. "Who's that?"

"Excuse me?" Mary asked as she looked at Sam then over at the twins then back at Sam.

"Who the hell is that?" he asked again. Mary picked up the picture and looked at the picture as if it were something new. She remembered how this picture alone helped keep Sam from crying. For a while Dwight allowed her to believe that she was the reason Sam wasn't crying anymore but she later found out it was the picture. For some reason, Sam felt comforted by just looking at it.

"That's you and another baby in NICU. These nurses loved you so much that..."

"Cut the bullshit! You know what I am asking you." Sam said through gritted teeth. Mary felt shaken to her core. She'd never heard Sam talk to her that way.

"Uh...Steven...Stacy...go get ready for school."

"But mom?" Steven whined. He knew something big was about to happen and just as always they weren't allowed to see it. Mary glared at Steven, cutting his whining short as he and Stacy ran up the stairs then remained close enough to hear the drama.

"Mom, the S stands for Sam, right?" he asked as she nodded and allowed a tear to run down her face. "Fabray? Explain Fabray." he demanded. He felt heated and could see his hands shaking. Mary was shaking as well and her tears were falling more rapidly at this point.

"That...that was your last name...before..." she tried to finish the sentence but she couldn't. The look in Sam's eyes said that he was staring at a stranger.

"Before? BEFORE? BEFORE WHAT MOM?" Sam shouted. He felt as if his world was spinning. He felt as if he was staring at someone he didn't even know. He begged her for an answer but his eyes was pleading that she wouldn't say what he already knew she didn't want to say.

"We..." Mary stood and made her way over to Sam then tried to hug him but he stepped back as if he didn't trust her. "Sammie...please."

"Answer me."

"Okay...just please listen..." she pleaded with him. "Your father and I struggled with trying to have... trying to get...we couldn't..."she struggled. "Then we got you." she added and reached out to him. Sam heart felt as if it were trying to burst out of his chest. He couldn't believe what she was barely even saying. "I didn't know how to tell you. We wanted to wait till you graduated and then your father died and..."

"Who's my mother?" he asked cutting her off. Mary's eyes widened as his question hurt her to her core. She was his mother. She had always been his mother.

"Sammie...I'm your mother..." she added as she stepped closer to him once again.

"NO! YOU'RE NOT MY MOTHER! YOU'RE A LIAR!" Sam shouted as he stepped back again moving away from her. "All my life you've been lying to me. I can't believe you."

"Sam, I..."

"You know what? I stayed here because I felt as if this is where I needed to be. And now, I can't even look at you." Sam added before making his way towards the stairs. He paused when he noticed the twins staring back at him with tears in their eyes as well. "I can't be here." he said as he rushed passed them and into his room. Once he was in there, he quickly packed what he could and then picked up Finn's card. He tossed his bag on his back then ran back down the stairs. He walked over to the table where Mary was consoling the twins. Even though he was mad at her, he couldn't hurt the twins. "Come here." he said as they both ran over to him and hugged him. He held them tight and whispered that he would always be there for them if they needed him. He glared at the woman who claimed to be his mother, he stood and pulled out a box that was full of cash. He separated the money and placed the rest back in the box. "This should take care of the rent for a bit." he placed the money he'd been saving on the table before turning and leaving.

"Sammie, please!" Mary shouted behind him. "Where...where will you go?" Sam paused as he kept his back towards her then looked at her one more time before reply:

"I'm going to follow my dreams."

* * *

**Hey y'all, thanks for returning. That was a roller-coaster, huh? Poor Sammie. I posted 2 YouTube videos and updated my fanfic...whew chile the ghetto...lol**

**I went back and forth on who needed to die between Dwight and Mary. I finally decided it had to be Dwight. It worked perfectly because I just couldn't see Sam not going to Hollywood if it were Mary that passed away.**

**Next chapter I will focus more on Mercedes and Sam but I every now and then I gotta show y'all when Brody gets shady lol. But at least you all know Mercedes and Sam will finally meet soon. About damn time, huh? Sorry this part was short but I have noticed when I do really big updates with more than 3k words I tend to be drained. Anywho let me know what yall think.**


	8. Chapter 8

Sam took a bus ride to Los Angeles and spoke to Jake briefly letting him know that he was on his way there. Since it was last minute, he didn't have enough to pay for a flight there and he honestly needed the time to clear his head. Mary called him over and over, leaving text messages and voice-messages as Sam ignored every call. He wasn't ready to talk to her again. He wasn't sure if he would ever be ready to talk to her again, but he had so many questions that only she could answer. The main question on his mind was who could his mother have been and why did she not keep him? He knew there was no way that she was ready to answer that question either so he immediately turned his phone off and decided to sleep most of the ride there.

Once he arrived at the greyhound station, he hopped on the bus that Jake told him would take him straight to his apartment. It was quite early when he arrived, but Jake assured him that he would be awake. He walked into the apartment complex and looked around for Jake's apartment door. Right as he was preparing to knock on the door Jake opened it with a bright smile.

"Yo, I knew that was you getting off the bus!" he shouted and pulled Sam into a big hug. The last time Sam saw Jake was the night of the party and although they kept in touch, things weren't the same for the two. So he was a bit shocked at how excited he was to see Sam. "You have no idea how happy I was to hear Finn was able to change your mind. I really thought it was a long shot."

"Yeah, I was shocked too." Sam lied as he hugged Jake back then made his way into the apartment. He looked around as he took in the place that he would be calling home for the foreseeable future. Jake had an obvious theme of black leather going with the place and honestly, Sam had no complaints. "I can't believe I'm actually here." he added with a wide smile.

"Bro, believe it, you're here. And, you're going to love being on set." Jake stated as they made their way to the living room. "Oh, have you been watching the show?" Jake asked as he grabbed the remote control. Sam hated to admit that when his mother was watching the show, that it was the first time he ever saw the show at all. "You gotta see the promo from the next episode. I get to finally have more than one or two lines."

"Are you a regular or recurring?" Sam asked. He thought Jake was a lead on the show and that was how he was able to get Sam on the show. Sam was suddenly becoming a bit worried that he may have hitched his wagon onto Jake prematurely once again like he did back at the party.

"I'm not a regular yet, but watch this." he nodded at Sam as he played the promo. Sam could tell that he was proud of what Sam was about to see. So he made sure to pay attention, because honestly Sam knew nothing about the show.

"Next time on Gleek..." the sound of a glee club singing an acoustic version of Journey's Don't Stop believing plays in the background as it fades in the back the announcer continues to explain what the next episode would be about. "Stella's single and has to write a song about love for regionals, but she's never been in love. Bummer, right? The Glee club won't win Regionals with a horrible song, but they won't win at all if all the members in the club can't perform Kendra's dance routine." Jake immediately stood and a smile spread across his face as Sam's focus remained on the Kendra character. He recognized her but wasn't too sure who she was.

"My part is coming up." Jake announced proudly.

"Mark's new to the club, and he's a horrible dancer. Can Kendra teach him the routine in time for Regionals or will she only make him fall deeply in love with her moves and amazing voice?" Jake paused the video and looked over at Sam in anticipation.

"Did you see that?" Jake asked as if Sam wasn't just watching the same video he was. "They put me on the promo and I'm a love interest for one of the lead characters on the show."

"Okay? What does that mean? Did Finn say he was promoting you?" Sam asked. He didn't know how it all worked out but he remembered watching many shows where love interest never stuck around long enough to be a regular.

"Trust me, he's working on promoting me. All I have to do is play this Mark character to a tea. I would say that I can try to romance Mercedes..." he paused then pointed to the screen. "Her."

"Oh."

"Yeah, if I could've romanced her I would've used it to get me where I wanna be but she has a cock-blocking boyfriend." he added causing Sam to laugh. Ever since they were young Jake was always trying to find his way into Hollywood. Sam had to admit that whatever he was doing was working and he had no room to criticize.

"She looks familiar. What other shows is she on?" Sam asked as he tried to remember where he knew her.

"You remember the party where you left me behind for that hating ass friend of yours?" Jake asked as he grabbed his jacket and looked Sam's way.

"I didn't leave you behind. You could've followed us in..."

"Whatever."Jake stated dismissively with a wave of his hand. "That was her party." He began searching through his jacket pockets then looked over at the table where his keys were. "Ah...there they are."

"Wait, I think I spoke to her." Sam replied as he noticed Jake was putting the jacket on. "Uh...are you about to leave?"

"Yeah, I gotta be on set." he responded and smiled as Sam stood up. "Can't wait to show you around. Can't believe Finn was able to convince you to come." Jake added as he shook his head and made his way out the door. Sam wasn't sure when or if he would ever tell Jake about why he finally decided to come. For now, he was okay with letting him believe whatever he wanted.

* * *

Mercedes read her lines a couple of times as she sat down in hair & makeup. Next to her, Marley paced and read her lines as well. Although they'd been on the show for quite some time, they still were nervous about messing up their lines. On the show, they played best friends and off air, Mercedes tried to find things in common with her. Outside of singing and dancing, they rarely found anything to talk about. Marley had a beautiful voice that Brody told Mercedes she needed to keep an eye on. As far as Brody was concerned Mercedes had a better voice and could have been lead on the show if he didn't have other plans for her. Although Mercedes appreciated his ambition she had no interest in being lead on the show. She was perfectly happy as Kendra.

"I'm so happy that I don't have many lines in this episode."

"I think the focus will be more on my character and Jake's, but I am sure it will be back on you soon enough." Mercedes replied. She knew Finn had this thing for untapped talent, but with Marley, it was obvious that she was not exactly enjoying the fame being a lead brought to her. Although Mercedes played one of the main characters on the show, she still was able to walk around without having to be incognito. Only fans she seemed to have were from the black community who claim she was someone to watch.

"What if..." she paused and looked around before walking closer to Mercedes. "Have you been happy since being on the show?" she asked. Mercedes wasn't sure why she was asking her this but she was not about to complain about the best thing that ever happened to her.

"We were meant to be here, Marley." Mercedes responded before playing with her bracelet. "Look, I know a lot of things are happening quick. I know it has been overwhelming. I find myself overwhelmed at times too."

"Sometimes, I just wanna scream." she added with a slight nervous chuckle then stopped when she saw Jake walking in. "You're so lucky you get to kiss him." she sighed as she watched Jake and a friend talk to Finn.

"I'm not kissing him anymore." Mercedes responded as she closed the script and got out of the chair. "Thanks." she made sure to always thank the hairdresser when they were done.

"Really? Why not?" Marley asked with a smile. Mercedes shook her head and chuckled her as they made their way to the set.

"Oh don't seem too sad about it." Mercedes joked. "I think he decided to go in a different direction with the story-line." She leaned against the wall as Marley kept her focus on Jake. "Maybe he will make his character your love interest." Marley blushed at the thought and caused Mercedes to look over at Jake. To her, he was a great looking guy but he was a bit of a fuckboy. To her, he was way too excited about the potential kissing scene.

"Who's the guy with him?" Marley asked as they both looked at the guy next to Jake as he spoke to Finn.

"Are you moving on from your crush on Jake, perhaps?" Mercedes asked as they both looked at the boys talking to Finn. Mercedes tried not to look too hard, because she knew any lingering look would have Brody on her case with the quickness. Sometimes she felt as if he had some type of radar for whenever attractive guys were on set. She also knew that this had to be one of the main reasons that he didn't want her on the show. Everyone on the cast looked like anyone from around the way, but they were still very attractive and that made Brody nervous.

_She remembered the first time Jake tried to flirt with her on set. They were both seated at the back of the choir room on set, while Marley tried to get her line together before her solo. Mercedes was busy scrolling on twitter when Jake decided to make his move. She knew him from way back in her camping days when he was at the camp across the pond. Back then, she was single and he never tried to make a move on her but the minute he saw her with Brody as her manager he seemed to latch on to her. He never flirted with her until he came on set and they scripted for him to be her love interest._

_"I bet you could blow this solo out the park." Jake whispered to her. She remembered looking up at Marley as she nervously performed her heart out then looked back at her phone._

_"Marley's doing just fine." she responded._

_"Alright everyone look at her with awe and amazement." the director instructed as the camera panned on to them. Mercedes and the rest of cast immediately focused in on Marley until the director yelled cut and focused back on Marley._

_"Yeah, she's doing fine but I know you can put some soul into it." he added. Mercedes ignored him as she directed her eyes back to her phone. "You look amazing today. I mean, you look good in everything they put you in." Mercedes sighed and put her phone away before looking over at him._

_"You really need to stop talking on set." she replied as Marley finished her scene. The camera panned back to the cast as they were instructed to clap and appear as if this was the best performance they'd ever seen. Once the scene was over Mercedes walked off as Jake followed behind her._

_"Hey, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to have dinner..." he stopped just as Brody interrupted them. Mercedes could see that he was not happy to see Jake talking to her. Brody placed his arm around Mercedes' shoulder and pulled her in as he glared at Jake. "Hey sup, man?"_

_"You trying to invite us over for dinner?" Brody asked as Mercedes nervously looked at Jake. "How old are you, kid?" he asked as Jake glared back at him._

_"Brody, chill." Mercedes placed her hand on his chest hoping to calm him down. With her hand on his chest, she could feel that he was really trying to hold in the anger. "I can make your favorite tonight, okay?" He kept his eyes on Jake for a quick second before looking at Mercedes then back at Jake once again._

_"Okay, babe..." he smiled at Jake as he placed a kiss on her lips. "See you around, kid." he added as they both walked away from Jake. After that day, Jake still tried his luck with her but Brody didn't step far away from set after that moment. Any time Jake was lingering or if Mercedes even looked in his general direction Brody appeared out of nowhere. Later when they were home he wouldn't let it go. He accused her of flirting with Jake. She had to explain that she was never interested in Jake and never would be. At times she found it cute when he was jealous but other times she felt that he was being unreasonable and annoying. Whenever she talked to him about it he would always respond with the same response._

_"I'm just trying to protect you from these Hollywood boys that only want to use you." he explained. She wasn't sure why he felt she needed to be protected but she never pushed the issue._

Mercedes tried to focus on the scene she had to record with Jake. After they completed the almost kiss scene, they spent a couple hours recording the dance scene. It was quite tiring and having to pretend as if she could dance, while Jake pretended that he couldn't. She tried her best to ignore the glaring that Brody was doing as he watched on along with a couple others. In the far back, she noticed Jake's friend watching on with a proud smile. For a moment it looked as if he was enjoying the scene then all of a sudden his face went bland and she thought that she recognized his face from somewhere. She tried to refocus on the dance scene as she watched him walk off set. Once they completed the dance scene, Brody quickly made his way over to Mercedes with a water bottle.

"You're killing it, babe." he said to her as he glared at Jake. Mercedes rolled her eyes as she finished off the rest of the water.

"I'm going for my afternoon walk." she mumbled before walking off.

* * *

Sam followed Jake around the set like a lost puppy. After he spoke with Finn, he felt as if he needed to pinch himself at the thought of being there. Each time he watched the cast act he envisioned himself on set and a smile would spread across his face. Just as he began to believe his presence there, his mind reminded him of why he was there. He tried to focus on the scene that they were performing and forced a smile as Jake pretended to struggle with the dance moves being taught to him. Jake had always been an incredible dancer but now he had to pretend that he couldn't for the scene to work. Sam forced a chuckle as the girl playing Kendra told him that he was moving too stiff for her. Each time he looked at the girl from the party, he remembered the night his father died. Then that thought made him remember that he wasn't really his dad to begin with. He sighed and decided he needed some air. He walked off set and found a bench just outside of the set.

"Do you mind if I sit?" he heard a voice ask. He'd been sitting on the bench so long that he didn't realize Jake was done with his scene.

"Sure." he replied as he slid over and allowed her to sit. She sat next to him and played with the water bottle in her hand a couple times before she broke the silence.

"Do I know you from somewhere? I know you from somewhere don't I? I can't seem to pinpoint it but you have a face that's quite familiar." she squinted as she looked at him. He smiled before shrugging then giving her a slight nod.

"Yeah, we kinda met the night of..." he trailed off as he thought of the night of her party and the night Dwight passed away.

"The night of my birthday party, right?" she smiled and nodded softly as if finally realizing something then looked his way. "It's a small world, ain't it?" she asked as she played with the bracelet on her wrist. "I'm Mercedes, by the way. Mercedes Jones." she extended her hand towards him. He took her hand in his and shook it as he introduced himself.

"Sam..." he paused as he tried to think if he would say Evans or Fabray. All he'd ever known or ever been was an Evans. He knew nothing about what a Fabray would be. He was so deep in thought that he didn't realize that he was still shaking her hand.

"Are you okay?" she asked causing him to snap out of his trance. He pulled his hand back and looked down at the ground before looking over at her.

"Yeah. No. I don't know." he replied. "I mean, I should be. Finn is putting me on the show." he sighed before shrugging again. "Look where we are. Back when I was little at camp, this was all I ever wanted. Being on a show and now I'm here and..." he paused. He wasn't sure why he was opening up to her but for some reason he felt as if he could.

"It's not everything you thought it would be?"

"No, its...amazing." he replied. "I just can't enjoy it because of..." he paused again as he debated talking about his adoption and everything that he'd been through.

"Hey, look..." she reached over and placed her hand over his then gave it a light squeeze. "You don't have to talk about it..." Sam stared at her hand for a moment then took a deep breath before deciding he needed to let it out.

"I just found out that I was adopted as a baby and my mother..." he paused and chuckled for a second then shook his head. "I don't even know what to call her now."

"Oh Sam."

"The night of your party, was sort of my birthday week as well and also the night...my dad died...God..." he looked up at the sky as a tear slid down his cheek. "This whole time, I sacrificed my dreams for a woman that lied to me about who my mother really was." Mercedes was quiet as she listened to Sam explain everything that he'd been through before slowly removing her hand from his. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Sam. You've been through a lot." she replied. He looked at her as her eyes darting around as if she was searching for the right thing to say before she looked at him. "I'm sorry for your loss. I want to say that I know what you're going through because I lost my mother but I was a baby when that happened. I never knew her." she sighed before continuing as Sam listened closely. "I don't want to make it seem like what you've been through isn't tough. And being adopted...and lied to for years, I can't even imagine, but I would do some crazy things to have my mother for even an hour."

"I would too." Sam said as he tried to imagine who his real mother would be. What she would even look like. Did he look like her or act like her?

"Sam, your mother is around. Sure she handled that horribly but she's around. She may not be your biological mother but she's your mother in every sense of the word." she responded to him. "I think you should call her and tell her about this amazing opportunity that you have in front of you. I am pretty sure she will be proud of you." she added. Sam took in what Mercedes said and prepared to respond to her when out of nowhere a man appeared.

"Mercedes? I've been looking everywhere for you and you're out here talking to an extra?" Mercedes quickly stood up and made her way over to him.

"He's not an extra." she stated before looking back at him. "Brody, this is Sam, he's going to be a part of the cast. Sam, this is my boyfriend Brody. He's also my manager." she added. Brody looked at Sam for a minute before walking over to him and extending his hand with a card.

"If you're in the market for a manager, feel free to hit me up." Sam took the card and stared at it before looking back at Mercedes. He could tell from the look on her face that she didn't want to leave just yet but she walked off with him anyway. Sam watched as walked away till he couldn't see her anyway then stared at his phone as he debated calling Mary. He slid his finger across the screen to call her.

"Sam..." he heard her voice crack and it was obvious that she'd been crying still. He hated that he was the cause of her crying but he still couldn't deal with all the lies she'd told him. Even through it all, he had to admit that Mercedes was right. She was the only mother she knew.

"Hey mom."

* * *

**Oh hey yall, they finally meet. I am sorry that it took so long for me to update. Life has been a bit hectic and it caused me to have writer's block. Its crazy because I know everything that happens to them in this story but I struggled to jot it down. Also Lamia has been really bullying me yall. You should see what she DMs me demanding I update for yall...so thank her for the update lol**


	9. Chapter 9

It had been weeks since Sam and Mercedes had that moment outside of the set. From that moment on, whenever Mercedes went for her walks, Sam would join her. It was especially easier for her to enjoy the walks since Brody was away on a business trip. When they would walk they would joke and talk about life back in Lima. Mercedes had made a point to ask him if he had ever called his mother but she would forget as he would continuously joked around. As they continued to joke around in their little bubble, they never noticed Finn watching them every time. The first time he noticed them talking he smiled and didn't think twice about it but he'd noticed their chemistry immediately and it planted a seed in his mind. He thought about it for days before deciding that he needed to do something with that chemistry. Social media was buzzing since Sam's episode aired as people were shipping him with the lead Stella and just as he planned people shipped Kendra with Mark. Now, he was ready to turn everything upside down. He made his way towards the writer's room and smiled as they looked at him.

"Twitter is in love with Mendra and Stosh!" he exclaimed with pride as they all smiled "Now let's give them something to talk about. Let's break them up." he paused and smiled wider at their confused look as he nodded. "We're going to start a ship war. he added before closing the door behind him completely.

Mercedes stood across the room, picking at the snack table until she found exactly what she was looking for. She read the text message that Brody sent saying that he was working hard for her from the other side of the country. She was preparing to text him back, when Sam came over with a nervous look on his face. She almost spit out her food as she held back a laugh. Although Sam had been on the show for a few weeks, he was always looking as if he was about to lose his lunch. She leaned on the wall and shook her head at him as he grabbed a donut.

"Somethings happening." Sam said in a whisper as if someone was listening in on their conversation. Mercedes rolled her eyes and looked at him as if she didn't hear him.

"What? Speak up, Sam." she said as she cupped her ear towards him. He looked over at her and sighed before taking a huge bite of his donut then spoke with his mouth full.

"I think Finn's kicking me out of the show." he said as he chomped.

"Sam you're trippin'." Mercedes responded as Brody sent her another text that she quickly glanced at it then placed her phone back down.

"I'm serious, Mercedes. I just heard him say he's going to break up Stella and Joshua when he walked into the writer's room. Why else would he say that if he wasn't about to kick me off the show. That's the only reason I'm even on the show." Sam ranted as Mercedes took in what he was saying. Since she had been on the show, the Stella character had a new boo almost every episode and they tossed the actor out without so much of an explanation of where and why. Continuity was not a thing for this show as they focused mainly on ridiculous story-lines that pushed the songs they sang for iTunes and top charts. She prayed they weren't getting rid of Sam. She would miss him as he was her only person from the cast that she knew that wasn't trying to get in her pants. Or whatever it was that Jake was trying to constantly do. "You think I'm gone too, huh? I can see it in your eyes." Sam sighed.

"No way, Sam. Finn loves you. He flew to Lima to get you. Maybe you heard him wrong." Mercedes said more to herself than to him.

"This would really suck, Mercedes. I already told my mother..." he paused as he suddenly felt weird saying mother but decided to just continue. "I already told her that I wasn't going back because I was on this show." Mercedes reached over and placed her hand over his before smiling to calm him down.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask if you called your mother. Did it go..." she paused when Sam moved his hand away from hers.

"Yeah, I called her." he mumbled. "I don't want to talk about it." Sam added as he thought back to the conversation he had with his mother.

From the moment Mary picked up the phone she began crying and sobbing in Sam's ears. Sam hated that he was the reason that she was crying but he was also fighting the fact that she was really the reason she was crying. Sam allowed her to cry and ramble on before he finally spoke and told her that he planned on staying in LA for the show.

"Oh Sammie." she held back tears before continuing. "Don't do this. Please. Just come home and we can talk about this. I miss you...the twins miss you. Steven doesn't even sleep in his room anymore because he just ends up crying when he looks at your empty bed."

"Mom...Mar...Ma..." Sam struggled with what to call her then finally sighing out of frustration. "Look, I know what you're trying to do. I miss the twins and I hate that I left how I left but I needed to leave for me. I'm on a show now. I signed a contract and everything. I'm not..." he paused as he could hear her crying again. "I can't come home, mom." he remembered they talked for a few more minutes before she finally said something that Sam couldn't stop thinking about.

"Sammie, I get you have to stay and I am sad that you're not coming back but I am proud of you. I will support you from here." She paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "I...I...know that what I did was wrong but I spent years trying to...when I held you for the first time, Sam...I knew I would love you forever. I know I should've told you when you got older but life got away with me and...and...I can only say I am sorry now. And...I'll see if I can find your real mother." There was silence on the line for a minute as Sam listened to her sniffling. He wanted to know who was his biological mother was but hearing her say "real mother" made him understand how much he'd hurt her.

"Mom...don't worry about that. She didn't want me then and she won't want me now." he responded. She tried to make him feel better but Sam had to go so he quickly told her that he'd call her back. That was weeks ago. He would look at his phone and prepare to call her but deciding against it every time. He did however stay in contact with the twins. He didn't want them crying about him anymore.

"You sure you don't wanna talk about it?" Mercedes asked as she noticed he'd zoned out completely. "Sometimes, it's good to let it out...you know like we did back at the bench?" she asked placing her hand over his again. He stared at her hand and forced a smile as he looked her way.

"I'm good. I promise." he reassured her. "She said she was proud of me. So, we're good now." he lied. They weren't exactly good but they were better than they were before. Mercedes decided that for that moment she would let it all slide because it was obvious he didn't feel like talking about it and she didn't want to pressure him.

"Good. I'm proud of you too, Sam."

"Yeah, why?"

"Yup, you big boy now." she replied before bumping her shoulder against his then grabbing a bottle of water.

"Oh I'm big boy now? What was I before?"

"I don't know. You tell me." She smiled and took a sip of her water. Sam wasn't sure why he wanted to but he felt himself preparing to flirt with her as he stepped closer to her but stopped when he heard Jake and Marley laugh on the other side of the set. Mercedes looked over to where Marley was and her smile widened. "What's up with your boy?" she asked tilting her chin Jake's way.

"Who?"

"That owl." she replied so quick that he didn't even have time to react as she chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Your friend Jake. What's his deal? Is he single or seeing someone?" she asked causing Sam to step back and looked over at Jake then back at Mercedes.

"Oh, Jake?" he pointed slightly towards him and Marley then smiled at her. "What? Do you like him too?" he asked then laughed when Mercedes scrunched up her face as if he mentioned something fowl.

"Hell to the nah!" She shoved Sam playfully. "Don't try me." she added then playfully pushed him again. "In case you forgot. I got a man." Sam wanted to comment on Brody but decided against it as he kept his focus on her. "I'm trying to hook my girl Marley up. She has a crazy crush on him."

"Oh yeah, a blind man can see that." he replied just as Marley let out a really loud laugh. "He has never been funny. Not that funny."

"She gots it bad, Sam. We gotta do something. We should go out tonight, all of us." she added as she took his hand and led him over to where Jake and Marley were. Marley and Jake were in full flirtation mode when they noticed Sam and Mercedes coming their way. "Hey, you guys. Sam just thought of something amazing." she added as Sam looked over at her in confusion. "Tell them what you told me." Mercedes said to Sam as he tried to think about what they were last talking about.

"Uh...I was thinking maybe..." he paused as he looked at Mercedes for help. "We should all go out tonight. I've been here a couple weeks and haven't seen LA for real." Mercedes nodded and smiled at him then back at Marley and Jake.

"Really?" Marley beamed with delight as she looked at Jake.

"I guess we're going out tonight, huh?" Jake asked then smiled at Mercedes. She sighed and looked over at Marley as she beamed over at Jake.

"Yup...and I know just the place." Mercedes responded. Ever since she moved to LA she'd wanted to go out but never had any friends. Now that Brody was on the East coast, she knew it was time to enjoy the night with her new friends.

* * *

Mercedes was waiting for the day she would get to come to this spot that she'd heard a lot about. The Sugar Shack was normally a hot spot for celebrities to go and sing Karaoke without having to hide their faces. Mercedes wasn't a big time celebrity as of yet but Marley was and she didn't want that to ruin the night. She drove with Marley as Sam drove with Jake later that evening. She'd spent hours on her hair and makeup and wore a nice tight black dress. She'd had that dress for a moment now and since being on the show, Brody didn't take her out on meet and greets anymore so the dress collected dust. Until tonight, she was dusting off everything and dancing til the cows came home.

"You both look really nice." Sam said as they met in front of the Shack. Mercedes shrugged and winked at him as she noticed Jake checking out Marley.

"You both look real real real nice tonight." Jake added as his eyes lingered in on both girls. Sam sighed and jabbed Jake to push him to focus on Marley. "What? Do you see that ass?" Jake asked as he tilted his head towards Mercedes as she danced her way in with Marley in tow.

"Yeah...I see it..." he replied as he tried not to check the girls out too hard. "That ass has a jealous boyfriend and from what I remember you told me...he doesn't like you much."

"Yeah, but he's not even here. So..."

"Jake, focus on Marley. You like her and she likes you. She's the lead on the show. Isn't that what you want. A lead in?" Sam reminded Jake. Jake looked at Marley then back at Sam as they walked in to join the ladies.

"You're right, my man. My eyes tend to forget what the motives are. Thanks for reminding me." Jake replied as he slapped Sam on the chest lightly. Sam shook his head and took a deep breath in as they all made their way to a table and sat. Mercedes excused herself for a few seconds then came walking back still dancing.

"You're having fun tonight, huh?" Sam asked as he ordered their drinks. He pulled out his fake ID to order their drinks and prayed no one knew him yet. Mercedes didn't look like she had a care in the world about them being noticed. From what he saw, it was obvious that she didn't get out much just like he didn't.

"Wheewwww! I am going to enjoy the night!" Mercedes responded as she downed a shot. Sam chuckled and downed a couple shots as well as he watched her sway her hips and sing along to the person singing on the stage. Once they were done singing, Sugar, the owner of the spot came out to announce the next couple going on stage to sing.

"Tonight we have a treat for you guys!" she shouted with excitement. "We have Jake and Marley from Gleek coming to the stage to sing for us!" Sam and Mercedes smiled as Jake stood and held out his hand for Marley to take. Marley was over the moon as she sang with Jake. As they belted out Blow Me One Last Kiss, Mercedes jumped up and down with excitement as Sam looked on. She looked back at him and smiled before making her way over to him and taking his hand.

"Come on, Sam. We came to dance!" she shouted. He took a couple more shots then he stood to dance with her. He quickly hit her with a body roll, his go to move that he thought was especially caused Mercedes to laugh. She could tell that he thought he was doing it as he continued to body roll. "Go head, nah!" she shouted with delight. Sam made his way over to her and took her hand before twirling her around. Mercedes was having so much fun dancing with Sam that she didn't even noticed that her phone was ringing nonstop. And she didn't get to see all the missed calls as her phone died and they called her and Sam's name for the stage.

"I am not a good singer." Sam said as Mercedes rolled her eyes and dragged him to the stage. He reluctantly followed behind her then nervously stood on the stage waiting for their music to play. He looked on into the crowd then tried to look for Jake and Marley but couldn't see them anywhere. "Hey, did you see where they went?" he asked Mercedes but before she could answer their music began to play.

"I hope you know this song." Mercedes whispered as the lyrics started to appear on the screen. "I'll start." she added as Sam nodded. "Take my hand, I'll teach you to dance. I'll spin you around. Won't let you fall down." she smiled at how nervous he was as she continued. "Would you let me lead? You can step on my feet..." she extended her feet towards him and chuckled as he pretended to put his foot on hers. "Give a try. It'll be alright." she continued to sing the hook as Sam nervously waited for a part he knew. "The rooms hush hush, and now's our moment. Take it in. Feel it all and hold it. Eyes on you. Eyes on me. We're doing this right."

"Cause...lovers dance when they're feeling in love." he finally jumped in with her. "Spotlight's shining it's all about us."

"It's all all all about us." she sang.

"And every heart in the room will melt. This is a feeling I've never felt but...it's all about us." they sang together then Mercedes gestured for him to go alone on the next part.

"Suddenly," he smiled as he sang and caught her look of surprise. "I'm feeling brave. I don't know what's got into me. Why I feel this way." he winked at her and pulled her towards him to sing the next part. "Can we dance...real slow? Can I hold you...real close?" Mercedes was shocked at how well he sang his part as they continued to sing the rest together. She stepped away from him as they reached the last hook of the song. She walked to the far end of the stage then turned towards him and smiled.

"Do you hear that, love? They're playing our song." She sang softly as Sam made his back towards her.

"Do you think we're ready? Oh I'm really feeling it."

"Do you hear that, love?"

"Do you hear that, love? They're playing our song." he sang back to her. As they continued to sing that line before hitting the chorus one last time.

"This is a feeling I've never felt but..." they walked over to each other and faced one another as they sang the last line. "It's all about us." The crowd applauded the two but for a brief second they almost forgot where they were. Mercedes was the first to break the stare as she turned to the crowd and bowed then quickly got off the stage. Sam smiled at the crowd then followed behind her. When they to the table they noticed Jake and Marley's things were gone. Mercedes wouldn't look Sam's way, so he just sat down and ordered more drinks.

"I'm going to look for Marley, really quick." she stated then stopped when Sam reached for her wrist to stop her.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I made things a bit awkward..."

"You good, Sam." she replied pulling away before he could completely apologize. He sat back at the table and downed all the drinks in hopes that being drunk would take away the embarrassment. Mercedes made her way to the ladies room and into a stall before taking a deep breath in. She grabbed her phone and tried to turn it on only to realize that it was dead. "Fuck! I should've stayed home. I have a boyfriend for crying out loud." she said to herself. "And where the fuck is Marley? I wanted her to date the man not fucking go home with him!" she walked out of the stall and washed her hands before making her way to the men's room. If she was in there, Mercedes was just going to let her do her thing but unfortunately she wasn't. After looking all over, she made her way back to Sam who had his head down as if he was asleep. "Hey, did you see Jake and Marley?" she asked and waited for Sam to respond. When he didn't she poked him a couple times then pushed him back in his chair.

"Oh hey Mercedeeeez, when did you get back?" he asked.

"Oh for fuck sakes, Sam! I was gone for like 5 or 10 minutes...the hell did you do?" she asked as he tried to stand up. She hated to admit that he looked funny as he wobbled around and reached out to her even though she were right next to him. "Sam I'm right here."

"Those pesky drinks creep up on you, man." he shouted as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Sam, you're drunk!"

"No shit sherlock!"

"Where's Jake?"

"I think they left us to go boink." he replied as Mercedes gathered their things. She figured she was going to have to take him home since Jake left Sam with no way to get home.

"Okay, so uh...I guess I gotta take you home. Do you have the address?" she asked as she allowed him to lean on her to make it to her car.

"I live that-a-way." he replied pointing in different directions and then breaking into a loud laughter that Mercedes couldn't help but laugh with him as she let him in the car.

"Guess you're coming home with me." She sighed and closed the door behind him then made her way to the driver side. "Thank God Brody doesn't come home till next week." She mumbled to herself before getting in the car as well.

* * *

**Hey yall...thanks for coming back. I had a busy day today but Lamia locked me in the dungeon till I was done with this update. She doesn't even feed me you guys. It's a shame. Any way, I was going to write what happens at the apartment but decided it would be best in the next chapter. I think it might be my favorite chapter. It's in my head yall...there's so much that needs to happen to these two. Anywho, Samcedes don't like each other the way we all want them to but they sure are buttering each up to that point.**

**Quick question-do you guys want to know what happens on Gleek? I am inviting yall to the table reading next weekend. lol**


	10. Chapter 10

When Mercedes arrived at her apartment, she struggled to get Sam out of the car and all the way to her apartment door. Although he was half awake, he was still pissy drunk and wobbling everywhere. She tried to support his weight as she fiddled with her keys to open the door. He laughed at her and wrapped his arm around her neck before placing his head on her shoulder. She was much shorter than he was so he had to bend his knees a bit to find comfort. Mercedes sighed with annoyance but allowed him to rest his head on her anyway.

"You smell nice. You always smell so nice." Sam muttered near her ear without opening his eyes. "What are you wearing?" he asked. Mercedes ignored him and continued to try the second key on her key-chain. Normally she didn't have issues finding her key, but with Sam leaning on her it made it a bit hard to see.

"Sam...uh...I need you to lean on the wall for a second." she replied instead as she helped him lean on the wall. "Ah, there we go!" she exclaimed. She placed the key within the lock and opened the door before helping Sam in. Mercedes lightly pushed him on to the couch then made her way back to her door to close and lock it. When she came back, Sam had already unbuttoned his shirt and kicked off his shoes. "Well damn, Sam, make yourself at home." she chuckled as she watched him lightly snore. "He is knocked the fuck out." she added before making her way to her bedroom en-suite. She took a quick shower then robbed oil on her skin before getting into the bed and falling asleep.

Sam was in a deep sleep himself when he was nudged awake. He blinked slowly a couple times before sitting up and noticing Brody standing in front of him. Brody asked him a question a couple times but none of it was making sense to him. He wasn't as drunk as he was before but being woken up from a deep sleep had him a bit discombobulated. He rubbed his eyes then ran his hands through his hair, preparing to ask Brody to repeat what he said. Before he could even utter a word, Brody stomped off into the bedroom.

"Mercedes!" Brody shouted causing Mercedes to jump out of bed. It was obvious that she wasn't fully awake as she looked at Brody as if he were something out of a dream.

"Hey babe, you're back?"

"Why the fuck is Sam Evans sleeping naked on our couch?" he asked instead. This question took Mercedes by surprised and woke her up immediately. For a second there she almost forgot that she brought Sam home with her.

"Wait what?" she asked as she tried to remember if Sam was dressed the last time she saw him. She made her way to the living room but Brody pulled her back to him.

"What's he doing here?"

"He was taking a quick nap because he was drunk. We went out, Marley, Jake and..."

"Are you kidding me?" Brody asked as he threw his hands in the air. "You mean to tell me that not only have you been ignoring my calls all day but you took this kid out to drink too?"

"Kid? Brody, Sam is my age. Is this how you see me? As some kid?"

"Are you cheating on me with him? Is this what I walked in on, your love affair?" he asked ignoring what she asked. "Is this what you've been doing while I've been working hard trying to get your freaking music career off the ground? You have no idea what I am sacrificing for your career."

"Okay, first off...you need to lower your voice..." Mercedes responded. "Secondly, Sam is just a friend. I am not cheating on you with him or anybody for that matter. I don't know why you keep assuming that I will just be with every guy that's nice to me."

"Then explain why you ignored all my calls and text messages?" he asked as he stepped closer to her. "Do you understand how worried I was? I thought something happened to you but instead I come home to some boy naked on your couch."

"Alright Brody, please stop! I get you're upset but seriously stop. Sam was not naked when I left him on the couch. And I'm not cheating on you with him." she replied as she rolled her eyes.

"Then explain why I came home to that kid out there?"

"God, stop calling him, kid, boy or whatever else. He has a name. My God, Brody, do you hear yourself?" Mercedes shouted back at him. "Sam is not a kid! We are the same age for fucks sakes!"

"So you'd rather I say that's a man out there because honestly Mercedes, that just makes things fucking worse!"

"It really doesn't matter because when you think something is going on you go bat shit crazy and say offensive shit! And you get jealous over nothing."

"I don't normally get jealous. You make me be this way."

"Are you fucking serious? Look at how you're acting right now."

"Well I'm mad, Mercedes! Do you get that you left me on read all day? Do you get that I was worried and thought something happened to you?"

"Sorry! Fuck!"

"You don't even fucking care, do you?"

"Of course I care! What the fuck, Brody? I said sorry!" She knew whenever he got jealous he over exaggerated situations but she had to admit that she didn't help the situation when she ignored him. She made her way to him and placed her hand on his arm to calm him down. "Look, I'm sorry I ignored your calls and text. I shouldn't have done that, but I need you to trust me. I haven't had fun in a while. I was a bit lonely without you here. And you know I have no friends, so the crew decided to go out tonight."

"You should've told me." Brody replied before kissing her.

"You're right. Okay. I'm sorry."

"Promise me you won't do that again. If you were lonely you could have called me." Brody added before kissing her again. Mercedes kissed him back but felt a bit uneasy with what he was saying. Instead of promising anything she simply smiled and hugged him. "At least promise that I don't need to worry about Sam or any of those guys on set." Mercedes thought about Sam and Jake as well as the other men on set and she honestly felt that this was a promise she could keep.

"You don't have to worry about me and Sam or any other guy. Remember, I chose you? Back in Lima. I only had eyes for you then and I only have eyes for you now." she replied with a broad smile. He stared into her eyes and smiled back at her.

"I'm going to take a shower. Make sure that kid is gone by the time I"m out." he responded before kissing her forehead then giving her a swift pat on the butt. Mercedes watched as he made his way to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Normally, she would be happy to see Brody back home but things were different this time. While he was gone she wasn't lonely. She had Marley, Jake and she had Sam. She had the best time while he was gone and she wished he never rushed back. She took a deep breath then made her way out to the living room.

Sam hated that he was the cause for the argument that he was hearing. He didn't want to make things bad for Mercedes and Brody but as he listened to Brody talk to her, he couldn't get why she was with him. And if he called Sam a kid one more time, Sam was going to bust in the room and show him how young he really was. Instead he tried to quickly find his shoes that he seemed to have kicked behind the couch she had. He tried to reach for it under the couch but it was tucked behind the legs just out of his reach. As he continued to try and grab it, he listened as they went back and forth. Just as he was able to reach his other shoe, he heard the sound of them kissing and felt his stomach turn.

"I don't get it." Sam muttered to himself as he struggled to put his shoes back on and hop towards the front door. He was minutes from opening it and slipping right out when Mercedes came out of her room. She slowly closed the door behind her then made her way over to him.

"Sorry about all..."

"No...uh...I'm sorry I caused all of..." Sam quickly waved her off but she quickly jumped in with an excuse for Brody's behavior.

"He's not normally this way."

"Are you sure?" Sam asked. "Because word around set is that he normally acts this way."

"You shouldn't believe rumors."

"Is it rumors though?"

"Sam..."

"Look, Mercedes, I know it's none of my business..."

"If you know then don't finish that sentence." She quickly interject but Sam continued anyway.

"You shouldn't have to apologize for making friends."

"I didn't apologize for that. I apologized because I ignored him. What I did was wrong and I can own up to it."

"Why did you ignore his messages?" Sam asked. Instead of responding, Mercedes shrugged as if she were afraid of saying the true reason behind her behavior. Although she was afraid to say it, Sam wasn't. "You had fun tonight, right? While he was away you were relieved. Had no worries. No one watching and controlling your every move. You were carefree tonight, right?"

"That's still no reason to ignore my boyfriend..."

"What are you doing with him, Mercedes?" Sam finally asked cutting her off. He honestly wanted to know the answer to the question. From what he saw, she was a cool chick and she could be with someone way more deserving. "You know you deserve better, right? Someone that doesn't yell at you and treat you like you're some kid." Mercedes hated what he was saying and she refused to acknowledge it as she looked down and away from his piercing stare. Sam reached over and lifted her chin to look him in the eyes once more. "You do know that you deserve happiness? You have to know this." He stared into her eyes and for the first time ever he thought she would open up and say what he already knew. Just as she was about to reply, they heard the sound of the shower ending and she stepped back.

"Do you need me to call you an uber?" she asked without looking his way.

"No, I...uh...I got it." he replied showing his phone. "They just replied that they are outside." he opened the door and held it for a minute. Mercedes walked over and held the door as he stepped outside and turned towards her. "Mercedes..."

"Good night, Sam." she quickly said before he could say anything else. He smiled at her and gave her a small nod before walking away. Mercedes slowly closed the door and tried to make her mind think of something else other than Sam's questions. She made her way back to her bedroom and watched as Brody got dressed for bed.

"Am I truly happy with Brody?" she asked herself as she got into bed. Brody slid in next to her before pulling her close to him and kissing her neck. She hated that Sam planted that seed of doubt in her head because she immediately tensed up by the feel of his lips on her. "Why am I with him?" she asked herself one last time before falling back to sleep.

* * *

Sam made his way to set, feeling horrible. When he made it back to Jake's apartment, Jake was still not home. He spent most of the night cursing himself for getting drunk and for butting in on Mercedes' love life. Since he been there, she'd been nothing but a great friend to him. The look in her eyes looked as if he'd burst her happy bubbly and invited her to the misery that is his life. He promised himself that the next time that he saw her that he'd apologize and be the friend she desperately needed. He made his way towards her dressing room but was distracted when Finn found him.

"Sam, my man, you're on your way to the table read, right?" Finn asked as he guided Sam in the opposite direction. Sam looked back at Mercedes as she stepped out of her dressing room.

"Uh...I needed to actually talk to Mercedes." Sam said as he tried to turn back towards Mercedes.

"You will have a lot of time to talk to her. The table read awaits." Finn smiled. He was beyond proud of what the writers came up with to start the ship war. He couldn't wait to see everyone's reaction.

From behind, Mercedes could see that Sam wanted to talk to her. She wasn't ready to talk to him. She watched where he sat at the table and made her way to the other side of the table. People have questioned her relationship with Brody before and no one ever got under her skin. Somehow Sam was able to do that by asking three questions. Those same questions gave birth to many other questions. They made her question everything about Brody. She was suddenly suspicious of him and skeptical about everything he would say. She even couldn't say I love you to him when he said it to her that morning. Sam threw a grenade in her relationship and now it had a weak foundation.

"Alright, everybody, settle down." Finn said as everyone began to quiet down. "I know you all are wondering why this table read is on the hush hush. And after the read, you will all see why." he smiled broadly. "I threw a challenge at the writers and they caught it and flipped. I'm telling you when you all read this, you will flip. The show will go all over the place!" he exclaimed. Mercedes looked over at Marley who seemed completely enamored with Jake who wasn't paying her any attention. She caught herself laughing and catching Sam's eye as he also noticed Marley's googoo eyes. Once he chuckled, Mercedes quickly forced herself to look away. "Alright, first up, Marley and Jake. Go to page 5."

"Uh I have questions?" Sam asked as he quickly scanned the page they were reading. "I thought Stella was dating Josh?"

"Don't interrupt, Sam." Finn instructed as Marley and Jake performed their scene. Mercedes hated to admit it but she was as confused as Sam was at that moment. The scene Marley was performing with Jake was making her a bit nervous. She was actually afraid that Sam was actually about to get written off the show. She looked over at him as he frowned at the pages before him then up at Mercedes as he mouthed "I told you so."

"How are things with Josh?" Jake read with a broad smile on his face. In his mind, all he could hear was that he was getting with the main. He wondered if the fact that he put it on Marley had something to do with his sudden rise to the top. Whatever the reason, he planned on riding that horse to peak mountain.

"Josh and I were never serious." Marley read before looking over at Finn.

"Amazing!" he applauded then scanned the room. "Trust me guys, I know what I am doing. Next up, Mercedes, come over here." he instructed. He wondered why he allowed Jake and Marley to read from their seat but she couldn't before sighing then doing it anyway. "And uh, Sam, come over here." Sam looked nervous still as he forced a shy smile on his face. He was still thinking he was being written off as he made his way to stand next to Finn. "Alright, I need you both to go to page 20 and start at the top, Mercedes."

"Okay, uh, the top of page 20. Got it." she held the folded script in her hand and looked over at Sam. "Spin the bottle? Really guys? What are we ten?." Mercedes then paused as it dawned her what was happening. "Wait...hold up spin the bottle?" she looked over at Finn. "How the hell did we get here?"

"Stella is nervous about getting a kiss from Mark so she throws this party and suggested spin the bottle. Trust me guys, this will work. Go ahead Sam." he snapped his fingers at Sam.

"Look, if Kendra doesn't want to play, she shouldn't have to play."

"And I don't want to play. I don't know where your mouths been."

"Come on, Kendra! You promised me." Marley read.

"Mercedes you are eager to keep your best friend happy who is now falling for Mark, so you agree to spin the bottle." Finn adds with the same smile that hadn't left his face since they walked into the room.

"One spin and then I'm going home." Mercedes read before scanning the rest of the page and seeing where she had to kiss Sam. "Finn, what's going on here?"

"We're giving the fans a ship war. When the two of you kiss, even though it is for a game, you will share a moment. I won't make you date but you will go to prom and kiss again. Stella will be dating Mark but jealous when she notices the spark between Kendra and Josh. It will be Stark, Jendra, Stosh and Mendra ship wars!" Finn added with excitement. "Are you up for the change, Sam?"

"Yeah, I uh can do it." Sam replied and looked over at Mercedes who seemed as if she was losing it. He wondered if she was mortified about kissing him or if this had something to do with that Brody situation that she had going.

"Are you okay with this, Mercedes? You told me that this was something that you could do. If it isn't, I can make our Becky character kiss Josh instead. Just let me know because we start filming soon." Everyone in the room looked over at Mercedes as they waited for her response. Mercedes mind ran through many scenarios, one of them being Brody finding out that she would be kissing Sam. He was not going to like this at all.

"Can I discuss this with..."

"I am happy you brought that up." Finn interjected. "No one is to discuss this script till it airs. I want this ship war to shake the internet."

"You mean break the internet, right?" Sam whispered.

"Yes, break the internet." Finn corrected then looked over at Mercedes. "Look, I know this is throwing you for a loop but I believe in the chemistry that you two have. If they see what I see they will ship you completely. The internet will love you." Mercedes wasn't sure what he meant but she was hoping he was talking about the chemistry between Kendra and Josh and not her with Sam's. Deep down she knew it was the latter.

"I don't know, Finn. Josh and Kendra have only said a handful of things to each other and now we have to make people believe one kiss caused them to fall in love?"

"They will believe whatever we present to them. After the kiss, you both will break into a duet that I know will rake in millions. So, this episode is pushing for this love square to break the internet. Can you deliver the kiss of your career?" Finn asked as he and Sam both looked at her. Mercedes looked at everyone then back at Finn before settling in on Sam as he smiled at her then mouthed "You can do it."

"I can deliver."

"Pucker up ladies and gents, this episode will be full of kisses."

* * *

**Hey everybody! Sorry I have been away. Lamia whipped me yall. She said I don't deserve yall and I agree with her for once. How long do you guys think Brody will go without demanding to see this script? Anywho, let me respond to some reviews:  
Yes whoknowstv, Finn is not playing with Brody's ass anymore.**

**Mowatts you are right, he came early and there's more to his trip and someone will be returning to the story due to it**

**Arwen I won't say anything else**

**And a lot of you want to kill Brody.**

**HomiesOver welcome to the party**


	11. Chapter 11

Sam was nervous as he sat in the room as Finn explained the changes that were being made on the show. He could feel it in his bones that he was being written off, so when he mentioned that he was just going to be swapped with Jake's character he felt relieved. He looked over at Mercedes as they read the lines and could feel the nervousness shift from him to her. She was not as happy as he was with the new changes. Sure he understood that Brody would hate that he would have to kiss Mercedes but all Sam could think of was that he still had a shot on the show. And the icing on the top was that he got to kiss someone that he was already close with. He was hoping that the only issue she was having was Brody and not the fact that they had to kiss, so once the table read was done he made a beeline to speak to Mercedes. They still needed to discuss what happened and he wanted to apologize for butting in on her relationship.

"Mercedes, wait up!" Sam shouted behind her as he tried to catch up to her.

"Sorry, Sam, can't chat. Brody is waiting on me outside with my lunch." she replied instead. Sam watched as she quickened her step just as his phone began to ring. He pulled out his cellphone and noticed it was his mother calling. They had been keeping in touch every once and while but some days Sam just ignored her calls. She spent most of it crying and telling him that she was still trying to find his biological mother, so there were days where he just wasn't up for it.

"Hey mom." he answered dryly. "Gotta make this quick, I'm still on set." he lied as he made his way off set and near the bench that he and Mercedes always enjoyed chatting on.

"Hey Sammie...ooh...I won't take up too much of your time." she replied. Sam could hear the smile in her voice and wished he could get over what she did to him and rekindle their relationship but for some reason it just kept gnawing at him. "I just couldn't hold this in."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Do you remember I said I have been trying to find your...mother?" she paused as if it was hard for her to say it before she continued. "Well, I have been a busy bee, Sammie. I called the agency that helped us get you and bugged the living day lights out of them. You would be proud of me, Sammie."

"You...uh...found her?" Sam asked as he tried to wrap his mind around the fact that she actually found her.

"I don't know exactly but I think I did. All I got was a name and I did a wide search. I narrowed it down to a woman who was a teen when she gave birth and her name Lucy Q. Fabray. I was able to find an email address. That's all I found, Sammie. So I gave it a shot. I wrote her an email and she wrote back but her response is in the form of a word document attached to the email." she paused as if she was waiting on Sam to say something but he couldn't think of anything. He just thinking of her name and how he finally might know his bio mom's name. "Sammie, I forwarded the email to you. The whole thing. I didn't read her response. I feel that should be for you, if it is her." Sam sat down on the bench and just stared off in disbelief. He knew that this must have been hard for her to do, but she did it anyway.

"Mom..."

"I know, Sammie. You're busy on set. So I won't keep you long. Call me and let me know if it's her when you get back home."

"Thank you, mom." Sam managed to say before she hung up. He quickly went to his email and clicked on the one with his mother's name. He took a deep breath then ran his fingers through his hair. He scrolled to the bottom of the email and saw what Mary sent out. He wanted to read it all. Mary took the time to write a long letter even though she wasn't sure she got the right person. Sam couldn't help but to smile. The subject of the email was blunt and to the point. Please Do Not Delete. A Letter From Your Son. Sam smiled as he continued to read how she explained the first day she held him in her arms. She also explained that she had all plans of granting Lucy's wish to not disclose who she was. Sam's heart clenched as he read the words his mother wrote to the woman who gave birth to him. She wrote that Sam gave her reason to live and before having him in her life she almost did not feel complete. "Oh mom." Sam muttered as a tear slid down his cheek. He was horrible to her and she never deserved it. He scrolled to the top of the email and clicked on the link to download the email response his bio mother sent. He wasn't sure if he was ready to read what she wrote but he knew he had to. He braced himself as he knew that whatever was in the email could be life changing for him. He prayed that it was for the better.

* * *

Mercedes knew that she couldn't avoid Sam forever, especially now that they are deemed to be love interest in the series. She knew he wanted to talk to her but she was not ready to hear anymore of his thoughts on Brody. Everything he said just made her realize how much wool she had over her eyes when it came to Brody. She really allowed him all access and control over her life. When she first came to Hollywood, she felt comfort in knowing that Brody had her back. All of her finances and deals outside of the show was all of Brody's doing. She felt as if she owed him everything but after hearing Sam, she started second guessing herself. So, when he called out her name she quickly excused herself to grab her lunch from Brody outside. She prayed that Brody didn't ask about the script but unfortunately it was the first thing he asked about when she came out to meet him.

"Hey babe." she said forcing a smile on her face then grabbing her lunch. He looked as if he was just on the phone and as she approached he hung up without saying goodbye or anything else.

"Did you get your script yet? Normally by now it would have been delivered." he asked instead of greeting her. Although he was focused on her script, she was focused on his phone that immediately began buzzing. She noticed a name appear on the screen. Instead of responding to him, she looked closer and asked him about it.

"Who's Rachel Berry? A new client?" she asked. He looked at the phone as if it were the first time he'd ever seen the name then quickly hit ignore and then placed the phone facing down on the hood of the car.

"Potentially something I'm working on for us." he replied with a smile. "Did you get your script?" he asked again.

"Working on what for us?" she asked again. She didn't want to discuss the script. Not only because she couldn't but because she wanted to know more about this Rachel Berry person and how was it something he had to work on for them.

"Yes. I can tell you more about it later after my meeting with her but I don't want to jinx it." he replied. "So, about the script..."

"Do you think right now is a good time for you to get new clients as you're still working on launching my album? Speaking of...what's been going on with that? I feel like we've been working on this for years and you've been going on all these meetings with nothing to produce for it."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm not trying to say anything. I am asking for you to include me in these meetings that involve my career."

"Mercedes, sweetie, the music industry is tough and trust me I am working around the clock for you. Getting new clients will not stop me or cause me to lose focus on you."

"Brody, you're not answering my question."

"And neither are you." he responded just as his phone began buzzing again. He looked over at the phone then sighed with frustration before looking back at Mercedes. "Look, we can discuss this later tonight when I get home. It may be a bit late. Don't have no boy on my couch this time." he added before placing a kiss on her cheek then hopping in his car. Mercedes watched as he drove off the set before grabbing her phone and searching up the name Rachel Berry. She found out that the woman was a thirty-six year old has been from the 90's who had a stint on Broadway. She was a one-hit wonder in the early 2000s that couldn't let go of the fact that she didn't make it after her one hit.

"What the hell is Brody doing with a woman that old anyway?" Mercedes asked as she made her way back to the set. She was preparing to eat in her dressing room when she noticed Sam sitting on their favorite bench. From where she stood he looked as if he was near tears. Although she wanted to avoid him, she decided to throw that aside and be the friend he needed. She placed her phone in her pocket then made her way over to him. He didn't look up at her as he stared at his phone. She sat next to him in silence then reached over to hold his hands. Without looking at her, he held her hand tight as if the strength he needed would come from her. She wasn't sure what to say as she had no clue why he was in tears but she wanted to say something. "Sam." she muttered softly as he looked over at her.

"I'm good." he lied before forcing a sly smile her way. "I'm okay. I'm fine." he continued to say but she knew better.

"No you're not...and that's okay. Nothing wrong with crying." she added. "Do you mind if I pray for you?" she asked. She could tell that Sam was caught off guard by this request as he quickly stood up and restated firmly that he was okay.

"It's okay, thanks." he replied. Mercedes reached for his hand and pulled him back towards the seat. He took a deep breath and sat down next to her again before placing his head on her shoulder.

"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to but later tonight when I pray before I sleep, you'll be in my prayers." she reassured him. "But, I'm here if you need to talk to somebody." They sat in silence again for a few more minutes before Sam finally spoke and broke the silence.

"My mom just called me and told me that my mother wrote me." he looked over at her then back at his phone. "I've been sitting here trying to get the courage to read it but I feel that once I do...that's it. No turning back, you know?" he asked and waited for her to respond. She wasn't sure she heard him correctly but if what he was saying was what she was thinking then she could see why he was shook.

"Your mother found your bio mom?"

"Yeah." he replied softly. "I've been horrible to her and she did this for me. I know my dad is up there ashamed of me."

"I am pretty sure your dad understands why you were upset and your parents wouldn't let that stop them from loving and forgiving you."

"I never gave her a chance to explain her side of things. I was so busy being mad that they hid this from me and honestly, if I was in their shoes I'm not sure I wouldn't have done the same." Sam admitted before looking down at the phone. "Now I have what I wanted and I'm not sure I want it anymore. What if she's not what I expected? And what if she's much more? Where does that leave things with my mom?" Sam asked and looked over at Mercedes as if she had all the answers.

"I don't think things will change with your mom. She loves you and I think this shows that she would do anything for you." Mercedes replied. "Just read it and take it from there." Sam took a deep breath again then opened the email and read what was inside.

_Dear Sam,_

_If someone told me that I would be writing a letter to my famous teenage son in my thirties, I would have told them they were lying but here I am. I have thought about you every single day since I left that hospital in 97. It was the hardest decision that I have ever made but after reading that letter from the woman who adopted you and seeing you on TV, I know I made the best decision for you. You grew into such a handsome young man and if what your mother says about you is true then I would say you've grown into a fine gentlemen as well. I can't say that if I kept you that you would have grown to be as special as you are today. I know that you may have questions about why I left you and why I wasn't in your life. I want to answer them all but I don't think any of my answers will be good enough. I was young, still in school and living with my religious parents. As far as they are concerned, I did not get pregnant till 2 years later while at Yale and married. Oh, yes, you have a little sister. Her name is Beth but we all call her Kitty. I told her yesterday about you. She was a huge fan of the show you are on and now she's a die-hard fan of yours. I am proud of the man you've become and you owe that all to the mother that raised you. I do not want to complicate things by meeting each other but if you would like to then we can work something out. My information will be included in this email, feel free to write me back if you feel up to it. _

"Wow." Sam muttered to himself.

"Was it bad?" Mercedes asked as she tried to read his expression.

"I have a sister." he replied then mumbled it a couple more times. "She had another kid after me and kept her." Sam finally said as a tear slid from his eyes. Mercedes could feel the pain that he was feeling. It was as if he had been rejected twice. "She couldn't keep me but she kept her?" he quickly explained what was in the email so that she could understand why he was hurt.

"Sam."

"This is why I didn't want to read this."

"Sam, look, I don't want to say I know what you're feeling. Even if you explained it, I wouldn't exactly get the pain. So I don't want to dismiss that pain you're feeling. But, imagine being a teen mom. I can't even wrap my head around being a teenager with a kid and to also go to Yale at the same time." she reached for Sam's hand again and tried to get him to look on the bright side of things. "You know I believe everything happens for a reason. You have an amazing mother and twin siblings. You're on a hit tv show and you got me as a friend." she added with a smile and waited for Sam to smile as well. "Look, jokes aside, you have every reason to be upset but you have so much more to be happy about." she finished as they both fell silent again. She didn't want to remain on that bench thinking of all the horrible things that happened in their life. She wanted to do something that would clear their minds instead. "Come with me." she stated before standing up and extending her hand towards him. He looked at her hand for a second before taking it and standing up.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." Mercedes said as they both walked off set. "We have a few more minutes of our lunch time before we need to head back." she added as they made their way towards another set. "I think this set will be used in two days so no one is here at the moment. We just have to be quiet."

"Mercedes, what if we get caught?" Sam asked in a whisper as he followed her in. There were no lights on except for the one that was over what looked like a skating rink. He stopped mid step as Mercedes looked back at him and smiled.

"Do you know how to skate?" she asked. She reached for some skates that were on the set then looked back at him with a mischievous smile. "What are you a size...what...ten...eleven?"

"I haven't skated since like camp when I was like eight." he replied. "I'm a twelve thank you." he added as she handed him the skates. "I don't think I'm that good at skating."

"I'll hold your hand, you big baby." she teased. They laced up their skates then made their way to the floor. Mercedes hit the floor first, skating backwards as she extended her hands towards Sam. Sam wobbled a bit then slowly reached for her hands. She chuckled as he almost tumbled trying to grasp her hands. She could tell from the smile on his face that he was already forgetting about his troubles and enjoying their time there.

"You're really good at this." Sam complimented as she smoothly did a couple tricks. He tried to copy and nearly slipped but she caught his hands. "This was a lot easier when I was younger." he silently skated till Sam got the hang of things and let go of her hand to skate next to her instead as he asked: "So, what do you think about Finn's changes to the script?"

"Uh...nothing." she shrugged and skated a bit faster. She was trying to not think about having a kissing scene because that made her think of Brody. And thinking of Brody made her think of that mystery chick that she was going to have to ask him about later.

"Really? You looked nervous when he mentioned our kiss."

"I didn't."

"Okay, so you're not nervous about kissing me?"

"I'm not nervous 'cause I'm not kissing you. Kendra is kissing Joshua." she replied.

"Really, Mercedes?" Sam asked as he tried to skate in front of her to skate backwards as she was doing prior. He wasn't as good as she was and he immediately began to wobble. Mercedes tried to catch him as she laughed at him at the same time which caused the both of them to fall backwards. Sam toppled over Mercedes as they both continued to laugh then stopped when they noticed the position they were in. For the first time in a long time, Mercedes wanted a kiss from a man that wasn't Brody. She wasn't sure why she was feeling this way but something was pulling them closer. Although they'd both stopped laughing, their eyes were locked on each other. She could feel Sam lowering his head to kiss her. Everything in her was telling her to push him away but instead she closed her eyes and prepared herself to be kissed. Sam was mesmerized by her as well as he stared down at her. She had her eyes closed and he could feel himself getting closer to her as their noses brushed against each other. He couldn't pull himself away from her if he wanted to and for some reason he did not want to pull away from her. He was seconds from kissing her when the lights on the set turned on and the sound of someone shouting at them broke them apart.

"What are you two doing here? You're not supposed to be here!" they heard the man shout. Sam jumped up and pulled Mercedes up as they both got up and grabbed their shoes. They skated off together laughing until they reached the bench outside of their set.

"I can't believe we just did that." Mercedes said with a chuckle then looked down at the skates on their feet. "We gotta return these."

"Yeah we do." Sam replied as he looked over at her. For some reason, she looked different to him and to Mercedes, Sam finally looked like the threat Brody assumed he was. And that truly made her nervous.

* * *

**dun dun dunnnnnn...things are finally brewing up for these 2**

**anywho...What do you all think of Quinn having another kid and keeping that one?**

**What do you all think about Rachel Berry coming back...she hasn't been featured since the first chapter**

**and last but not least Sam and Mercedes catching feelings?**

**I had a bad migraine as I wrote this but Lamia said I don't get to eat or sleep if I don't update so yeah thank her for the way she abuses me...and yall don't believe me I have receipts lol**


	12. Chapter 12

**It's happening...It's happening...no panic...just enjoy lol**

* * *

It had been weeks since that day at the skating set. They both had personal issues on their mind. Mercedes had Brody's vagueness and Sam had the thought of his biological mom writing him. With all of that going on, Sam and Mercedes both couldn't stop thinking about what almost happened in the skating rink set. Sam never thought of Mercedes as any more than a close friend and now suddenly, since that moment, he couldn't get her out of his mind. He couldn't stop wanting to know how it would feel to actually kiss her. Today was the day that he would find out how it felt and if what he'd been feeling lately meant anything. They had been recording many scenes, not in the order of what the end product would be but it allowed him many scenes with her. This was the final scene for the season and he'd been waiting for it since a couple weeks ago. He tried to talk to her about what he'd been feeling but she avoided him like the plague after each scene was done.

Mercedes on the other hand, had more than just the kissing scene on her mind. She was dealing with a lot of things with Brody and the Rachel Berry person. When she went home that night, he came home really late and drunk. She pretended to sleep and could hear him whispering something on his phone. When he got in bed after his shower, he pulled her close and kissed her shoulders as if nothing was wrong. She wanted to ask him questions but every time she brought it up he diverted the conversation to the script. The script that she couldn't talk about. The script that had a kissing scene between her and Sam. And just like that her mind was back on kissing Sam.

"You don't have to spin the bottle, ya know." Josh said. Sam was acting out his scene but his mind was not on the words he was saying. His mind was fast-forwarding to the actual kiss.

"If we all spin the bottle, than she has to spin the bottle too." Mark said. Mercedes looked over at Jake with a glare as the script instructed for her to look at him before reaching over to the bottle and giving it a spin.

"I ain't scare of no bottle." Kendra replied. Mercedes could feel her heart thumping in her chest as Finn yelled to cut so that they can position the bottle spinning to a stop on Sam. She stared at the bottle as if it were directing her towards her future. She allowed herself to look at Sam who was already looking back at her. The look on his face was something she couldn't decipher. He looked as if he was looking forward to the kiss, but she wasn't sure if it was part of the scene.

"Action!" Finn shouted. Mercedes looked back down at the bottle and followed the direction that it was pointing as if she didn't know it would land on Sam. She looked over to Marley as the script instructed then back at Sam as he stood and made his way over to her with no hesitation. She looked up at him as if he were descending from heaven. Each step he made mimicked the beating of her heart. She could hear the thumping loudly in her ear. The sound of her cast mates cheering them on were fading off in the background as Sam became more focused.

"You sure you want to do this?" He asked as the script instructed. Instead of waiting for a response, he slowly knelt in front of her and gave a nervous smile. Mercedes felt herself leaning forward as Sam placed his hands on her face. She felt her eyes close slowly as his hands cupped her face. Sam felt his arm thumping faster and faster as he leaned closer to kiss her. As the script describes it, the kiss was supposed to be chaste at first. And it was, but not for Sam and Mercedes. When Sam's lips finally pressed against hers, they both felt a surge of energy flow through them until they parted. A shy smile was on Mercedes face as well as Sam's as they pulled away. This was not a kiss between Kendra and Josh. It was obvious to the both of them as they continued to stare at each other.

"Cut! That was amazing!" Finn shouted as he made his way over to them. "Okay, now the rest of you will boo them and tell them to kiss longer and get deep with it." Finn instructed and ran off to yell action again.

"Oh hell naw! What kind of kiss was that? Y'all gotta get as deep as we all did." Mark shouted. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" they all began to shout. If only they knew that Sam and Mercedes wanted this more than anyone else.

Sam smiled as he looked at Mercedes and kissed her once again. This time he cradled her face with one hand while the other pulled her towards him and held her close. Mercedes wanted to hold him close as well but the script didn't request that. She held on to his shirt as the script instructed instead. She was kissing Sam. She knew that this wasn't Kendra kissing Josh. It was Sam stroking the side of her face ever so lightly with his thumb. It was Sam gripping her tight as if he didn't want this moment to end. It was her moaning lightly as the kiss deepened. None of this was in the script. She'd wanted this since that day in the skating rink set and now it was happening. When she finally pulled away, Sam looked as if he wanted to pull her back in. This part was in the script but she knew that it was Sam.

"Cut!" Finn shouted. "That. Was. Fucking. Awesome." he walked over to them as they looked around at the cast clapping. "Did you guys see that? The chemistry? The energy? You can't create that." he continued as Sam and Mercedes tried to avoid looking at each other. "Look at that? They are still in character. Let's keep rolling before we lose this chemistry." Finn added before giving Sam a pat on the back. For the rest of the scene they continued to play the part that wasn't acting at all. They continued to look at each other til Mercedes finally stopped.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked herself as she looked away from Sam. The minute Finn said that was a wrap on set, she made a mad dash to her dressing room. She made it within seconds and placed her hands on her lips as she leaned against the door with her eyes closed. She could still feel and taste Sam. She could still feel the energy she felt when they first kissed. As she was reliving the moment, her cellphone buzzed and she noticed it was Brody calling her. "Uh...hello." she answered as she mentally told herself to stop thinking about Sam.

"Mercedes, I've been calling you. Were you on set?"

"Yes...I just got back to my room. Is everything okay?" she asked as felt her mind drifting back to Sam. She stepped away from the door and grabbed a bottle of water from her mini fridge before taking a sip.

"Yes, everything is actually amazing. I need you to come home. I have something to discuss with you. Is this the last day of filming?" Brody asked just as Sam came barging into her dressing room then closed the door behind her.

"Uh...yes...um...can I call you back?" she muttered softly before hanging up on him as she stared at Sam. She turned around and pretended to pack up her things as she could feel Sam walking towards her. "You forget how to knock?" she asked as she walked about the room packing and avoiding his eyes.

"I...uh...wanted to talk to you but you ran off set so quick while we were all saying goodbye."

"Oh...my bad." she replied without looking his way. "Brody called so I had to..." she stopped when she felt Sam's hands on her shoulder. "Sam...stop." she muttered softly before turning to face him.

"I know you felt what I felt out there." Sam stated as he stared into her eyes. "Ever since I met you, I've sort of felt it but...this...you can't tell me you don't feel it."

"Sam...we were acting."

"I wasn't acting." he responded without hesitating. "I"m drawn to you Mercedes. I didn't know that was what was happening here till the other day. And now, after that kiss..."

"We...were acting, Sam." Mercedes responded, more to herself than to him. She would be lying to herself if she said that what he was saying was real but refused to give in. Not until she figured things out about Brody first.

"I saw your eyes out there, Mercedes. We were not acting." he responded as they stared into each other's eyes."I just feel like we're meant to be together." He reached over to stroke her cheeks as he did when they were on set. He smiled when Mercedes closed her eyes and inched his way to kiss her. She felt his nose rub against hers, when she felt her phone buzzing once again bringing her back to reality. She placed her hand on his chest and stopped him before whispering softly.

"Sam, I am with Brody." She slowly moved away from him and grabbed her purse before heading for the door. With her hand on the door, Sam said something that stopped her. He wasn't sure if he said it out of desperation or if he truly meant it.

"I...uh...I think I love you." Sam could feel his heart thumping out of his chest as he finally said what he'd been thinking for days. At first he thought he was losing it but the more he was around her the more he felt that he was denying what he already knew was true.

Mercedes held the door handle for few seconds as she felt his words sink in. The minute she heard the words come out of his mouth, she felt a shiver run up her spine. Brody said he loved her many times and never had they made her feel how she was feeling hearing it from Sam just then. She'd known Brody for years and he'd been by her side all that time. Why was she wavering now? She wondered if it was because of how secretive he'd been lately. Was this sudden insecurity enough for her to risk it all for Sam? He wasn't even sure if he loved her. She took a deep breath before walking over to him. He looked relieved that she was walking his way but the smile slowly faded when she kissed him on the cheek then whispered:

"Call me when you know." she stroked his cheek once more then turned away leaving him in her dressing room to ponder his feelings.

* * *

Mercedes made it home to find Brody packing. She was still hearing Sam's words in her head as she tried to push it far away from her mind. She kept questioning if she had the same feelings for Sam. Then she questioned if she still had feelings for Brody. She'd always been a faithful girl and now things with Sam complicated everything.

"Babe, you're home! I have amazing news!" he stated as she forced a smile on her face.

"Why are you packing?"

"That's part of the amazing news." he responded. "I have you booked for a tour that's covering all of America and Europe for the next few months. We gotta get you rehearsed and ready." he stated as Mercedes tried to register what she was hearing. If she'd heard this years ago, she would be jumping for joy but instead her mind went to Sam.

"Uh...months? What about the show?" Mercedes asked as Brody stopped packing and looked at her as if she was asking a dumb question.

"What about the show? What about it, Mercedes?" he asked.

"We just wrapped on set but I have to be back in six weeks for the next season." she spoke of the show but deep down she was wondering about Sam. She had to be back for Sam.

"Babe, you weren't supposed to be on this show forever. Did you forget our plan? Your music career? It's happening here and now. This tour will set your career up, not that dumb show." Brody explained as he resumed packing. "I already spoke to Finn a few minutes ago and told him that you were leaving the show for good."

"Excuse me?" She asked in shock and anger. "You can't make that decision for me, Brody!" she shouted at him as she finally dropped her bags and followed him into their bedroom.

"Oh, really? Now I suddenly can't make decisions for you?" he asked as he continued to pack. "I've been making decisions to help you build your career since you were...what...15?"

"I'm not a child anymore."

"I know. You made that abundantly clear when you pursued me and asked me to be with you. And, I did, Mercedes." he made his way to her and stroked the same cheek that Sam stroked not too long ago. "I allowed myself to love you and put my all into making you the Mercedes you are today. I never gave up on you. Even when you did." he finished before going back to packing.

"I didn't give up..."

"You wanted to be on this show so yeah I went along with it but it wasn't supposed to be forever. And you know that." he said cutting her off. He paused as if he wanted to say more then stopped before asking her something that shocked her. "You wanna stay on this show because of Sam, huh?"

"What?" she asked as if he wasn't right.

"I know about the kiss." Brody admitted and smiled when she looked at him in shock. "Did you really think that Finn telling people not to tell anyone would really work? People talk, but honestly I thought you would tell me instead of letting me find out through gossip."

"I...I couldn't."

"Bullshit Mercedes. You hid it because you knew it was wrong." Brody added. "You're giving up on your career for a boy you barely know. That's the difference between me and him, I'm not willing to give up on you or your music." Mercedes stared at him as she tried to think of what she'd done in the past. Singing on the show was basically karaoke. Although it gave her fans, it did stop her from focusing on her music career. Singing was her passion, her life, her first love. Was she really willing to let something come between that? Was she really ready to give up on music and focus on acting instead? She knew he knew that she would always choose music over anything.

"Who will I be touring with?"

"Rachel Berry."

* * *

Sam watched as she walked out of the room and felt as if his admitting his feelings did more harm than good. He truly thought that she would have chosen him over Brody. He wasn't sure why he felt so sure about it but something in him said that they were truly made for each other. He hated that she wasn't ready to admit it like he was. He didn't care that she was with Brody. He wasn't right for her, but nothing he said was making her see it.

"I fucked everything up." he mumbled to himself as he made his way out of her room. Once he was out, he bumped into Finn on the phone angrily shouting with someone.

"You can't do this! She is a key element to our next season!" he shouted as he made his way to his office. Sam wasn't sure what that was about but before he could think more on it, his phone rang with a number he didn't recognize. Normally he ignored numbers he didn't recognize but this time, he decided to answer it.

"Hello."

"Uh, hi, is this Sam Evans. The Sam Evans from Gleek?" the person asked as Sam paused to look at the number again.

"Yeah, who is this?" he asked.

"Uh...I'm...I'm your uh...sister." she replied before squealing. "I cannot believe I'm your sister...and I'm on the phone with you. You have no idea how exciting this is." she rambled on. "Oh my name is Kitty by the way."

"Umm, hi Kitty. How...how...how did you get my number?" Sam asked as he made his way to the bench that he normally shared with Mercedes. He suddenly felt a shiver run through him as his mind went to her immediately. He needed to go talk to her. Even if Brody was there, he knew he couldn't let that be the last conversation they have till they return on set in 6 weeks. She told him to call her when he knew. What if he was certain that he loved her, would she leave Brody? Would she be ready for the answer if he told her that he knew how he felt and that he was willing to fight for her? Or would this ruin their relationship as friends completely?

"I'm sorry. I saw it in an email my mother...our mother had...can you believe we have the same mother? Do you want to meet her?" Kitty asked. This was a question that Sam thought about since he read her email and he still wasn't too sure about it. He'd heard about people meeting their heroes and being disappointed. He was also worried that when he met her that he wouldn't get over the fact that she kept Kitty and gave him up. "I know this is tough but honestly, I've always wanted a bigger brother. I'm just really excited about you. I'm sorry if I'm pushing too hard. My mother...mom...she always said I was just a tad bit too pushy when I was excited about something."

"Uh, yeah, I get it. It's fine." Sam replied as he watched Finn walk out of his office in anger. Sam followed behind him as he walked over to the writer's room. Although Kitty was talking a mile a minute, Sam was busy listening to Finn talk to the writers.

"We have to write Mercedes out of the next season." Finn said as Sam felt his heart drop to the floor.

"Wait what? We just started brainstorming about the next season and most of it revolves around Kendra and Josh's love story." one of the writers admitted.

"You think I don't know that?" Finn shouted. "Give it a spin. Make her move away or something. And I guess we can give Josh a new love interest until I can figure this Kendra thing out." Sam couldn't help but wonder if he was the cause of whatever was happening with Kendra's story-line. Did he push Mercedes away to the point that she quit the show?

"Sam...Sam..are you there?" Kitty asked. "I know my invitation for you to spend the summer with us is weird and you can say no..."

"Kitty, it's fine. I'm up for it. Tell your mother I'm willing to meet the both of you this summer."

* * *

**Hey y'all thanks for still reading this mess of a story. Don't hate me too much y'all I love samcedes. This I think was my favorite chapter. They finally got to kiss and Sam was ready to risk it all. Unfortunately, Mercedes wasn't ready to risk it all but don't worry there's a reason for all of this. Let me know what y'all think. This time Lamia didn't bully me...I did this for the Corona ( no joke y'all wash your hands and stay healthy) My job has us working from home for the rest of the month, so I plan on trying to update more without being threatened.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Mercedes**

It had been a couple of months since Mercedes left the show. She still couldn't believe that she actually left it. She remembered how she went back and forth on her decision of either leaving or going. She wondered if her difficulty to decide had anything at all to do with what she was feeling about Sam. She couldn't decide because she truly loved being on Gleek. She loved singing. The only part she had trouble with was her feelings for Sam. The day they arrived at the airport, she felt as if her stomach was being twisted in the worst way. She wasn't sure if it was butterflies over finally touring or if it was because she was making the worst decision ever.

Brody spent most of the traveling they did talking to almost any and everybody preparing for their arrival. She heard him going back and forth with Finn about Mercedes' contract and that she only signed on for one season. Mercedes never knew about all of that. She made a mental note to be more involved in her contracts going forward. She honestly knew nothing when it came to her affairs. While Brody called all of America, the only person Mercedes called was her father, who she hadn't spoken to in some time. He was happy to hear from Mercedes and told her that he was going to do a much better job with being involved in her life. She was happy to hear this because for the first time in a long time, she was feeling lonely. She remembered telling him how much she missed him and he told her he was there for her whenever she needed him.

She remembered looking over at Brody, who was excited about this new venture. While he was excited, she couldn't help but think of Sam. She remembered that he sent her a long text message that she read but couldn't find the words to respond to it. Anything she said would just make her departure from the show, and him, even harder. This all happened months ago, but she still had his message. She still read it every night and debated on calling or at least replying but never mustering up the nerve to actually do it.

"Oh my God! You're Mercedes Jones!" A fan shrieked just as she made her way towards the back entrance of the concert. Her fame had gone up since she began touring but she could normally get by unrecognized when she was not in makeup. With everything that was going on in her life at the moment, one would think that she would be happy. This was the life she always dreamed of, but yet she still felt empty. She was still lonely. She still had to deal with constant rumors that her boyfriend/manager was not doing right by her. "I have been a fan of yours for like ever and can't wait to see you on stage. Can I please get a picture with you?" the fan asked.

"Sure." Mercedes responded with a smile.

"Oh my gosh, thank you. I can't wait to see you perform. No hate or anything but I really only came to see you. That Rachel woman is not worthy of you opening for her." the fan continued. Mercedes wanted to tell her that she completely agreed. If she was honest with herself, she still couldn't believe she was going along with the tour. Rachel didn't have the fan base that she thought she had. The tour did nothing to boost her career but it was helping Mercedes' career. Most of the people that came were fans of Gleek and only came to see Mercedes perform. "When are you going back on the show? It hasn't been the same since you left." This was not the first time Mercedes was asked this and every time she's asked she tries to shy away from it.

"I don't think it's been that bad. I've caught a few episodes." Mercedes confessed. She watched to see how they would write her off and to see Sam. She was happy that they didn't kill her off the show. They simply said that Kendra moved away causing the Glee club to be down a member in order to perform at regionals. So they recruited a new girl into the club to replace her.

"I really shipped Kendra with Josh. They have him with this new chick and it's just..." Mercedes could sense that this fan was never going to end the gossip, so she immediately cut her off.

"I understand but the writers' of the show are amazing. Trust me." Mercedes smiled as they snapped a couple pictures. "I hope you enjoy the show." she added before quickly making her way inside of the building. As much as she hated to admit, she felt a twinge of jealousy when Sam had to kiss his new on screen girlfriend. She wondered if he'd develop feelings for her. She allowed her mind to just get away with her as she thought of things happening between Sam and the new girl. Once she made it to hair and makeup, she tried to push away the thoughts of Sam. He was single and if he wanted to date his new co-star then he could. She was in no place to worry about him when she had her own issues with Brody to deal with. So instead of thinking of Sam, she got dressed for the stage then sat in front of Unique the hairstylist for hair and makeup.

"Girl, I'm going to beat this face for the Gawdz!" Unique stated with exaggeration as she applied Mercedes' makeup. Every time she had to perform she looked forward to spending time with Unique. The girl made her laugh and always had gossip ready for her to take in. "Now...you know I love you, girl, right?"

"Yeah I know. I love you back." Mercedes admitted with a smile. She did not notice how serious Unique suddenly became as she looked around as if what she was about to say was top secret.

"And you know I don't like to gossip."

"Uh huh." Mercedes chuckled. If anyone was a gossip it was Unique and would swear that she wasn't into it.

"Well, my cousin Rayray that lives off of 5th...you know the one I told you that got three and a half baby mamas and 5 kids? Probably more out there that he don't know about, if you know what I'm saying."

"Yes...I remember." Mercedes lied. She couldn't keep up with all the people that Unique told her about.

"Well, he told me that one of his baby mama's...I think the mother of his second youngest child...or maybe the third...if I'm being honest...I don't remember which one..." she paused as she tried to remember then continued. "Never mind that, one of his baby-mama's was told by her neighbors sister's boyfriend that he saw Brody and that Rachel chick at some bougie restaurant getting real slick with each other." Unique continued to apply her makeup but kept her eyes on Mercedes to see if she'd react. Mercedes felt her stomach tightened as it turned and flipped. Since moving there and touring, she'd sense a change in Brody. She knew something was going on but he would always flip her accusations. He kept her focus on performing and rarely spent time with her. Back in LA, she didn't really notice it because when Sam arrived she just spent time with him and the gang on the show. Now that she was by herself again, being alone only magnified Brody's behavior. Rumors had began spreading that he was having an affair with Rachel but he had an excuse every time. "What you gon do?" Unique asked as she noticed Mercedes concentration shift.

"Uh...um...nothing. It's just rumors." Mercedes said even though she knew she needed to put an end to it all. Deep down she was secretly hoping it was all rumors. Not because she didn't believe that Brody would cheat on her but mainly because she put her entire life in his hands. She jeopardized family, friendships and careers just to keep him around. If she sacrificed all of that and he just threw it all away for a has-been, she wasn't sure how she'd feel. How she'd be able to face everyone that warned her about Brody. She felt a lump in her throat and shrugged it off.

"Oooh Chile! Okay, now Mercedes, I was only giving you the watered down version. People are saying that he practically lives with her." Unique added. "Yo boy living a double life with that bitch." she added. Mercedes knew that Unique was fanning the flames to get a reaction and Mercedes did not want to react. Unfortunately, her feet had other plans as she felt herself standing up and walking towards Rachel's dressing room with Unique in tow. "Whew Chile, this is happening! I know that's right, girl. If we beating her up, make sure you don't let her mess up that pretty face or hair."

"I'm not going to fight her. I'm just going to talk to her." Mercedes responded. She could feel her blood rushing and her hands trembling as she prepared to knock on the door.

"Nah chile, we ain't knocking! We bargin' right the hell in!" Unique said as she opened the door to Rachel's room. If Mercedes was in denial about Brody's affair then she was not going to find a way to do it now as her eyes fell on Brody and Rachel kissing. "Bam Bitch! Look at that!" Unique said as she pointed towards them.

"Mercedes! I can explain." Brody immediately said as he pushed Rachel away. Mercedes stood in shock as she couldn't find the words to speak. She was not shocked about catching him cheating but that she wasn't as heartbroken as she thought she'd be. Instead she was disgusted with not only him but herself. How could she have been that blind to not see what was happening in front of her?

"How Bruh? How will you explain your lips on her lips? Did she faint? Drown? Were you giving her mouth to mouth with your tongue deep inside of her belly?" Unique asked as she noticed that Mercedes was not speaking. Brody ignored Unique and made his way to Mercedes but stopped when she stepped back.

"This...is...this is not what it looks like. Seriously. Babe." he pleaded. Mercedes looked over at Rachel who simply reacted as if none of this was happening. She had a smug look on her face as if she stole something worth stealing. "Please say something."

"You look so dumb right now." Unique began to sing. "Trying to apologize. You're so ugly when you cry, please. Just cut it out! Don't tell her you're sorry 'cause you're not."

"Can you please say something?" Brody ignored Unique as she continued to sing and focused on Mercedes.

"Oh you don't want her to say nothing! When a black woman is silent, you need to pray to God for forgiveness 'cause she's silently killing you." Unique continued. Brody glared over at her then back at Mercedes.

"Can we please go somewhere private to talk? I can explain all of this." he stated as he reached for her hand. Mercedes stepped back once more than finally smiled.

"Thank you." Mercedes said as she looked directly at Rachel and then back at Brody. "Thank you."

"What? What are you saying thank you for?" Brody asked. "Seriously, don't overreact. You're about to perform on stage in a few..."

"You think she's going to perform after all of this?"

"Can you please mind your business?" Brody asked as he glared at Unique once again. "Please Mercedes." he added as he redirected his attention to her.

"Keep it." she replied back with a smile still across her face. It was as if this was all she needed to finally give her the push she needed. "I quit." she added before turning to walk away but stopped and glared back at Brody when he held her back.

"Mercedes, you can't leave. You have to perform." Brody added as he pulled her back. She then walked within kissing distance of his face and stared right in his eyes.

"I don't have to do shit!" she responded between gritted teeth. "Now get your motherfuckin' hands off of me." they stared at each for what felt like hours but were mere seconds when Brody finally let go of her hand. She was prepared to leave and never look back but Brody had to say one more thing.

"Are you really going to leave me after everything that I've done for you? You were nobody when I met you, remember? I made you who you are today. I gave you that confidence you seem to carry with you. That voice you have...would be nowhere without me." he shouted behind her as everyone looked on. Mercedes stopped in her tracks as she listened to what he was saying. She looked down at the bracelet she always kept with her and took a deep breath as he continued. "I swear to you Mercedes, if you don't perform tonight, you will regret it." Unlike when she left the show, Mercedes was sure of what she had to do that night and she knew she wasn't going to regret it. She continued to walk away from Brody and made her way to the stage. She removed her robe and looked over at the dancers that usually performed with her on stage.

"No dancers tonight." she said to them as they all looked at her as if she were crazy. She reached for the mic and slowly walked on stage. She was about to perform her last song on stage. She truly didn't care if this would be the last time she'd ever be on stage. Brody ruined music for her. She wanted no parts of music if he was involved in anyway but tonight she had a message to send.

She'd been on stage already but tonight was different. She felt a rush flow through her when the audience began to applaud. She was truly going to miss being on stage like this again. Normally she came out on stage dancing with the backup dancers but tonight it was just her and a mic stand. She adjusted the height of it and took a deep breath as she looked out at the crowd.

"Hello everybody!" she said then smiled as they cheered louder. "Can I ask you all a favor?" she asked before placing her finger in front of her lips as they all began to quiet down a bit. "Thank you." she looked over at the side of the stage where Unique stood and held her robe. She noticed Brody and Rachel walking over to watch her perform. The smile that once was on her face slowly faded as she began to sing.

"Listen..." she sang as the crowd cheered then quieted down again. "To the song here in my heart. A melody I start but can't complete. Listen hmmmm to the sound from deep within, its only beginning to find release." she smiled slightly to the crowd as her voice gained volume to the next verse. "Oh, the time has come for my dreams to be heard. They will not be push aside and turned into your own all 'cause you won't...Listen." She spread her arms at length and continued to sing to the crowd. "Listen- I am alone at a crossroads, I'm not at home in my own home. And I've tried and tried to say what's on my mind...you should've known...Oh..." she closed her eyes and thought of everything she'd pushed aside for Brody and felt a tear slide down her face. "Now I'm done believing you...you don't know what I'm feeling." she opened her eyes and looked at the crowd as they swayed to her voice. "I'm more than what you made of me. I followed the voice you gave to me. But now I've got to find my own. You should have listened." she took the mic off the stand and walked the stage as she went into the next verse in the song.

"Listen, I'm all alone at a crossroads. I'm not at home in my own home. And I've tried and tried to say what's on my mind. You should've known, OH!" she sang as she made her way back towards the other end of the stage. "I don't know where I belong! But I'll be moving on...if you don't...if you won't... LISTEN! To the song here in my heart. A melody I start but I will complete! OH! Now I'm done believing you, you don't know what I'm feeling!" she sang with everything in her as she walked back towards where Brody watched on. "I'm more than what you made of me...I followed the voice you think you gave to me...but now I gotta find my own...MY OWN!" She held the note for as long as she could as the crowd cheered then handed the mic to Rachel before walking away.

Mercedes made it back to where they'd been staying and immediately packed as much as she could. She held all the pain inside and tried not to think about everything that just happened. She tried to remove the negative thoughts in her head that told her she was going to regret what she just did. Once she was done packing, she got into a cab towards the airport. She was tired and feeling drained by the time she finally made it to her destination. She got out of the cab and pulled her luggage behind her towards the door. She prayed that when she knocked on the door that she didn't look as lousy as she felt. She knocked on the door and took a deep breath as she waited for it to open. When the door opened she felt all the power run out of her and the tears that she held away came flooding out.

"Hey daddy. Can I come home?" she muttered as he wrapped his arms around her and guided her in.

* * *

**Yall this was a doozy...geesh...I was going to add Sam's part but I will TRY to do that tomorrow. I'm emotionally drained lol...If yall think Mercedes is going thru it wait till you read what Sam goes through trying to meet his bio mom lol**

**Anywho...I always wanted Mercedes to sing Listen (DreamGirls) right before she left Brody. Obviously you all know this isn't the end of Brody. Not going to say more. How many of you are happy Mercedes is back with her dad? He has some redeeming to do, don't he?**

**Also as far as Finn goes, I treat him like RIB+FOX+all mighty everything when it comes to the show. He's the Alpha lol so if he makes crazy decisions just go with it lol**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sam**

The small break that the Gleek cast had was over and returning to set was as if they were all returning to school. Although his break went differently than he had expected, the return to set was almost the straw that broke the camels back. He remembered the moment Finn announced that Mercedes was not returning for the following season. It was right before they left for their break. Sam immediately blamed himself. He sent her a long text message apologizing and begging for her to return.

_Hey Mercedes, we just got news that you are leaving the show. I hope it is not because of what happened between us. I know I have crossed the line because you're with Brody, but I also know that we have something special. I know you felt the connection. Although it would be hard to hold back how I feel about you, I would rather have you here. We need you here. I need you here. Please say you'll be back._

She read the message but never replied to him. He read the message multiple times debating on saying more but decided against it. She wasn't coming back and he had to accept it. So, he thought the small vacation meeting his bio mom would help him a bit. He packed two bags and drove to the address in Malibu where Kitty said she lived. The entire drive there, Sam couldn't believe that she lived so close to him. He also couldn't believe how huge the house was when he pulled into the driveway. He felt as if he was on a Fresh Prince of Bel-air parody as he pulled up to a house that was one room short of a mansion.

"Whoa!" Sam exclaimed as he parked. He hopped out the car and made his way towards the door. Just as he was preparing to knock on the door a man in full butler attire opened the door.

"May I help you, sir?" he asked. Instead of responding, Sam looked down at the address that Kitty gave him then back at the mailbox before returning his eyes to the butler. "Sir?"

"Uh...is this 355 Leicester way?" he asked nervously hoping he wasn't at the wrong address.

"Oh...my...God! My brother's here!" Kitty shouted as she came trotting down the stairs towards them. "Move out of the way, Sandy!" she shouted before shoving him out of the way and hugging Sam. "I can't believe you're here!" she shrieked before pulling him into the house.

"Uh yeah, I have to get my bags..."

"Sandy! Get his bags!" Kitty shouted behind her as she gave him a mini tour of the house. Sam was awestruck immediately by the high ceilings and the huge chandelier that hung above the foyer. It looked as if it were made of gold and Swarovski crystals that made the light gleam brighter than he'd ever seen. As she dragged him down the hallway to what would be his bedroom, he noticed many family pictures. For the first time ever his eyes laid upon the woman that gave birth to him. He paused for a brief second, trying to see find anything of himself in her. "Oh, I forgot you haven't met her yet." Kitty added as she looked at the picture that he stared at.

"She's...beautiful." Sam admitted. He noticed in the picture how she smiled as if she had no guilt in the world. She smiled as if she didn't leave him with no one to care for him at a hospital just hours after being born. Next to her was a man that looked as if he came from money. Even the picture he looked as if he was too good for the both of them. He didn't look as happy as they did in the picture. Maybe he had some guilt, Sam wondered.

"That's my dad there. Biff McIntosh. He will be by later." Kitty explained as she continued to walk.

"And uh...Lucy..."

"Quinn." Kitty responded cutting him off. "She goes by Quinn but soon you might want to call her mom or whatever."

"I'll call her Quinn." Sam responded. "My mother's name is Mary." Sam replied with a smile. Kitty looked over at him as if she wanted to say something about what he said but instead forced a smile on her face.

"Quinn it is."

"Speaking of her...is she home?" Sam asked as they reached the guestroom. He dropped his bag and took in the view that was right outside of his window. He wondered briefly what life would have been like if she'd kept him.

"She's away on business. She said she'd be back soon." Kitty replied without looking his way. "Anyway, get settled in and join me by the pool, okay?" she smiled before closing the door behind her. Seconds later, the butler came in and dropped his other bags to him. Sam sat on the bed then pulled out his cellphone as he looked at a picture he had of Mercedes. He wished that she was there with him. She always knew how to make him feel calmer when he was unnerved. He began typing a message to her then paused as he saw that he was still on read.

"Leave her alone, Sam." he grunted out loud to himself. He sat up and looked out the window that looked onto the pool. This could have been his life. He watched as Kitty swam laps effortlessly. "Why did she keep you?" Sam asked as if Kitty could hear him. He knew that when Quinn arrived that would be the first question that he asked her. He wasn't sure what he wanted from her but he knew he needed to know the reason she didn't keep him. Sam fell asleep daydreaming about how the meeting would go.

Later that evening Sam was woken up by Kitty telling him that dinner was ready. Sam woke up disorientated as he tried to remember who she was and what he was doing there. She laughed at him and began talking a mile a minute about having a party to show off her celebrity brother that weekend. He got up and blinked several times as it was all coming back to him. He was adopted. His bio mom reached out to him. He had a teenage sister. He was at his bio mother's mansion. She lived only blocks away from him and she was rich. He was going to spend his break getting to know them. Mercedes left without saying goodbye.

"Uh hey, can I get a minute to freshen up a bit?" he asked. She looked at him as if she was considering it then jumped off his bed.

"Okay. Make it quick. My dad doesn't like to eat alone." she added. Sam took a deep breath and sighed as he remembered that her father was still around. He wanted to only meet Quinn but now he was going to be at a table with all three them and stick out like a sore thumb. Then it dawned on him that she was probably home. "Why didn't she wake me up?" he thought to himself.

"Uh...Is Quinn...did your mom..."

"Mom's running a bit late. I'll see you at the dinner table." Kitty replied cutting him off then making her way out of his room. Sam sighed and wondered how many dinners had Quinn been late for. Was she the type that never cooked? As he showered he just imagined so many different things that she would be like. He wasn't sure what he'd expect but he knew that he couldn't wait to see her. Once his shower was done, he took slow steps towards the voices he heard in their dining room. He was nervous and unsure of himself. What if she wasn't all that he thought she'd be? What if she was even better? What if she was worst? As he took small steps, he wished Mercedes was here with him for this moment. "Oh Dad, here's Sam!" Kitty announced with a smile. The man that was in the pictures on the hallway wall, was now seated at the head of the table. His face showed that he was not impressed with Sam being in his presence. Though his face told Sam to Fuck Off, Sam still walked over and extended his hands to him as he just glared at it as if it were infested.

"Thanks for having me." Sam said with a smile. "I'm Sam Evans..."

"Sam sit. He already knows who you are. Mother told him everything." Sam pulled his hand back, then slowly made his way to the seat that Kitty insisted that he sit on. He noticed immediately that there was no plate set for another person to join them. He felt his stomach turn as he ignored the glare that Biff was directing towards him.

"Uh...this looks delicious." Sam forced a smile as he grabbed a fork and knife and pretended as if he was cutting his steak to small pieces.

"I told Sandy to make this. It's mom's favorite." Kitty responded. Sam ate silently as he listened to Kitty talk to her father. Their conversation seemed as if it were in another language. Every once and while Biff would look towards Sam as if he wanted to say something but deciding against it as he allowed Kitty to monopolize the conversation. Then right in the middle of Kitty babbling he decided to throw it all out there. "I can't wait till everyone comes to the party and..."

"Sam..." Biff said in a manner as if they were already in mid conversation. Sam quickly chewed what he had in his mouth before looking in his direction.

"Uh yes sir."

"How old are you, son?" he asked but deep down Sam knew that this was not the actual question that he wanted to ask. He felt an uneasy feeling that told him that he was not wanted there.

"Um...I'm turning twenty, sir." he responded as he tried to wonder where this line of questioning was heading. If Quinn told him everything then his age should have been obvious.

"Twenty years. Twenty years you went through life and decided to find Quinn now?" he asked but didn't allow Sam time to respond. "What are you looking for, huh? What did you think you'd find when you found her? Are you trying to sue her for money..."

"Dad stop! Sam's an actor on a really popular TV show. He doesn't need mom's money."

"Kitty, I know how these young actors live. They don't make as much money as you assume when they first hit the scene. I can tell you right now that he probably has 3 roommates, no headboard and those two bags of clothes are all that he owns." Biff added as he kept his eyes on Sam. "Am I wrong?" he asked and again, didn't allow Sam the time to reply. "What are you doing here?" Sam wasn't sure how to answer this question. It was something he'd been wondering himself. What did he truly think would happen when he finally met Quinn. He never thought of money. He never wanted anything from Quinn other than to know why she left him. Why she didn't want him? Why she wasn't here now eating dinner with them.

"I...uh..."

"Oh wow!" Biff responded as if he'd finally realized something. He wiped his mouth and smiled before continuing. "Did you think you'd come here and Quinn would tell you some sob story about wanting you to have a good upbringing? That she only gave you up because she was a teenager? Young, dumb and full of..."

"Daddy!" Kitty shouted. Sam felt his hand gripping the steak knife as he listened to Biff.

"You want to know the honest truth since my wife couldn't even bother to come meet you?" he asked as he inched closer to Sam. "I mean, her not being here should have told you everything that you needed to know about her. But, you want more so let me clue you in a bit. My wife was a teenager at Yale when we met. She was around your age, just a bit younger, when she became pregnant with Kitty. She was excited. She couldn't wait to tell me about the pregnancy."

"Daddy."

"Kitty, please, your brother needs to hear this." Biff stated without looking away from Sam again. "Nothing Quinn says will change the actual truth. The bottom line, when it came to you, she saw no future. And if you're honest with yourself, you'd see it too. Imagine. Just imagine if she'd kept you. Do you think I would have given her a chance? Do you think Yale would have given her a chance? Life with you would have been horrible for her and for you." Biff added before standing up and making his way towards Sam then placed his hand on his shoulder. "She did what was best for herself." he finished before walking off. Sam looked down at the plate in front of him as he replayed what Biff said.

"Sam, don't listen to him. He's going through a midlife crisis. When mom gets here..."

"She's not coming is she?" Sam asked cutting her off before looking her way. The look on her face said everything that he needed to know as he dropped the steak knife and stood up. "I'm out of here." Sam said as he made his way back to his room. He was happy that he never even unpacked.

"No, wait, Sam you gotta stay." she jumped up and followed behind him. "I've already paid my party planner for your welcoming party. Everyone's coming to see you."

"Wait! Is this just something where you can show me off to your friends?" Sam asked as she looked at him as if he asked something crazy. "Unbelievable." he sighed and shook his head before making his way back to grab his bags.

"Okay! Okay! Let me be honest here." Kitty said as she tried block Sam from leaving. "Sure, I invited you here because I wanted to show some of the girls at school that I wasn't lying about you being my brother. And maybe, just maybe, I forgot to tell mom about you coming..."

"Are you kidding me?"

"But, she was happy when I did tell her that you were coming. It was just a little too late by then." Kitty added before placing his hand over his. "Please don't leave because of what my dad said. He's just jealous about how happy mom got when she read that email from that woman that adopted you."

"That woman is my mom. And honestly, I think that's where I really need to be instead of here." Sam responded then pulled Kitty in for a hug. "Look, thanks for trying to do something here, but I never should've came. No harm no foul." Sam couldn't get away from there fast enough.

That was months ago. Sam decided to head back to Lima for the break and pretend as if he it never happened. While he was in Lima, Quinn reached out to him via email apologizing for what happened. She told him that there was nothing that she could do to make things better between them and asked for his forgiveness. Sam never responded to that email and decided to close that door completely.

When he returned back on set, he was hoping that Mercedes would be there. He hoped that it was all a joke that she'd left the show but it definitely wasn't a joke. When they gathered for the table read, Mercedes did not saunter in with that laugh of hers that was so infectious. In her seat was someone else. A tall blonde girl that looked as if she had already been on the show from season 1.

"Alright everyone! Welcome back to SEASON 2!" Finn exclaimed with excitement as everyone clapped. "Now I know we kinda had to do some scrambling for the finale with Mercedes leaving the show and all. Josh was left out a date to prom because Kendra moved away. Stella and Mark took things to the next level and were crowned prom king and queen." he continued to give everyone a rundown as if they forgot what happened within weeks of their break and they all listened with cheerful smiles. "Well, this season, we're starting off with a bang. Stella and Mark will still be together. And Josh..." he pointed to Sam with a smile. "We're not leaving you hanging." he smiled as he pointed towards the blonde that sat in Mercedes' seat. "Everyone let's give a warm welcome to Brittany S. Pierce. She will be playing Britney S. Peers. The beautiful dimwit that can dance circles around everyone will be playing Josh's girlfriend that he met over the summer."

"Welcome to the show, Brittany." everyone said collectively.

Sam remembered that at first he continuously compared Brittany to Mercedes. Almost to the point that the chemistry was a bit off on the show. Sam remembered that spending time with Mercedes helped their chemistry on set, so he invited Brittany out on a date. Sam told himself that he needed to clear his mind completely of Mercedes and move on. Once he did that, he allowed himself to really see how funny Brittany was. She played the dimwitted character so well that practically never broke character.

Although, Sam began dating Brittany, they still didn't gel well on the show. Fans weren't receiving them like they did Josh and Kendra. Finn watched several episodes and couldn't understand why Sam wasn't gelling well with Brittany. They tried multiple story-lines but it just didn't compare to the chemistry he had with Mercedes. It had been weeks later, when Finn finally got news that Mercedes was no longer touring with Ex-pop star Rachel Berry. He read around and found out even better news that she'd fired Brody as her manager.

"That's my girl." Finn said with a smile as he began to make some calls. He didn't care what he had to do but he was going to get her back on the show. He made sure to get a pilot to fly his private jet out to Lima. He was coming back with Mercedes. He didn't care how much it would cost or how long it would take.

* * *

**Hey yall sorry that this was short. It was actually supposed to be part of the last chapter. Anywho, I keep debating on if I should make Quinn be more involved in Sam's life but ultimately I feel it is better without her. Hope you all don't hate me for giving Sam a boo thing. If you think about it on Glee Sam left after they're fling and when he came back Mercedes was boo'd up. This was my gender swap of it all. Hope you all enjoyed it. **


	15. Chapter 15

Mercedes was enjoying her time being back in Lima with her father. Although she missed the stage and missed being on Gleek, she felt pure happiness being there again. Her father, the man who was barely ever around before, spent as much time as possible with her this time around. It was almost as if he was making up for all the times he missed. They went out to eat, went to a carnival and they enjoyed a paint and sip as well. They even celebrated her birthday at one of her favorite restaurants in Lima. Mercedes remembered that she couldn't help but stare at him as he ate the dinner they both cooked together the night prior. When he noticed her staring, he dropped his fork then looked at her and smiled.

"What?" he asked. She felt herself becoming emotional as a tear fell from her eye. She wondered if he'd been this father to her, if she'd ever pursued Brody. If she would ever let him take advantage of her and controlled every aspect of her life. "Oh honey, what's wrong?" he asked as he reached over to wipe the tear that fell from her eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. He slowly sat back and looked at her as he tried to figure out what she was asking. "I can remember when I was little..." she paused as she took a deep breath and quickly wiped away another tear that fell from her eyes. "I used to wait up for you. Tina used to beg me to please go to sleep. And I wouldn't, because I was waiting for you. I kept waiting on you to be my father...be my dad. Be this." she pointed towards his general area. "I waited twenty years for you."

"Mercedes...I..."

"Where were you when I needed you?" she asked cutting him off. She could tell that what she was saying was bringing tears to his eyes as well. She didn't want to make him cry but she always wondered why he wasn't there for her like he was being now.

"Baby girl...I...I don't have any excuse. After I lost your mother, I kind of spiraled. I didn't know what I was doing and every time I looked at you, I saw her. I told myself that if I gave you everything that you wanted then that would make up for my absence." he paused and shook his head. "Again, I know it was not an excuse, it's just what I told myself. And if your mother is still watching us up there, I know I've let her down just like I've let you down." he reached over to touch her hand and gave it a slight squeeze. "I know this is all a little too late...but I'm trying to be here now."

This was all last night and today, she decided that she would forgive him. "Everything happened for a reason." she kept saying to herself as she rubbed the bracelet. She wondered if she would be as messed up as her dad was if she had ever met her mother. Can she truly judge his reaction to her dying? Can anyone judge how another person grieves? She was deep in thought when she heard the bell ring. She wasn't expecting anyone and with her dad at work, she knew he wasn't expecting anyone. She made her way towards the door and opened it with a look of shock on her face.

"Finn?"

"Mercedes." he responded with a smile before pulling her in for a hug. "Get over here." Although she was shocked to see him, she was truly happy to see him as well.

"What are you doing here?" she asked once they stopped hugging. She stepped aside and allowed him into the house. He stepped in and looked around for a few seconds before looking back at Mercedes.

"I came to check in on you. I know when you left that things were kind of left on shaky grounds." Finn responded as he followed her to the living room and sat across from her.

"Yeah...I had an opportunity that I couldn't ignore." she replied. She honestly wanted to say that Brody pull the wool over her eyes. That she was stupid to leave a show that she was doing great on to follow a has-never-been to tour.

"Oh yeah! Brody. I know he had something to do with you leaving. He never wanted you to be a part of the show. And I feel like his need to remove you from the show became even stronger when we added Sam to the cast."

"Yeah, he didn't like Sam at all." Mercedes chuckled. "And, if we're being honest, Sam didn't like him either." Finn nodded but didn't add onto the comment but she could tell that he wanted to express how much he didn't like Brody as well.

"Have you been watching the show?" he asked and then by the look of Mercedes' reaction he smiled and continued. "Sam has been doing great on the show."

"Yeah, I noticed. You seem to pin him on to almost every girl on the show. I keep wondering who will be next." she jokingly said.

"The writers' felt that he needed a new love interest and the some of the fans liked it and well...others did not." he added with a chuckle. "The new girl we have him with is great..."

"I see. She seems really funny and quirky. She's also really pretty...and blonde. She almost looks like his sister." she responded. She hated that she sounded a tad jealous, so she tried to pull it back in. "She's a talented dancer though."

"Hmmm...so you have been watching." Finn responded with another chuckle. "And you're right. She's talented. She's funny, quirky and blonde, but something is off about her and Sam. I can't put my finger on it but the chemistry just isn't there." he paused then took a deep breath before continuing. "I read about you leaving Brody and was wondering, if you'd think about returning to the show." For some reason the thought never crossed her mind that Finn would want her to return to the show. The way she left, she was even shocked that he hugged her the way he did when she opened the door. She thought she definitely burnt the bridge down.

"Return back on Gleek?" She asked as if there was another show that she was on. She missed being on the show but things were different now. She was still rebuilding her relationship with her father. She wasn't sure they were done repairing their relationship even though it was better than it was before. She knew it could be better. She also recently saw pictures of Sam with his new co-star having dinner and later walking out hand in hand. Things with Sam was still rocky as well, since she hasn't responded to his text message.

"Do you remember what I said to you when I offered you the role of Kendra?" he asked. Mercedes tried to remember but all she remembered was him telling her that she didn't have to audition. "I told you that you were perfect for this role. And when you finally said the first words for Kendra...and then when you sang. It solidified everything."

"Oh..." was all that she could say as began to blush. She never thought she was that good of an actress. Her singing was the only thing that she showed pride in. It was great to hear these praises from someone like Finn Hudson.

"And your chemistry with Sam is needed on the show." he added quite frankly. Mercedes wondered if what she could sense from his words was what he was trying to push.

"Uh...are you saying that you want me back on the show...as Josh's love interest?"

"Yes. The fans will love it. Kendra and Josh fans both love the two of you individually and as a couple. There's a handful here and there that still want Josh with Stella and Britt over Kendra but the majority opposes."

"I don't understand. Where will I fit in?"

"I want you to create a love triangle between Kendra, Britt and Josh." Finn added with excitement. She could tell that he felt good about her returning and coming between the characters. She also knew that he was clueless about how she felt about Sam. She wasn't ready to see him with another girl when she hadn't come to terms with her feelings yet. "I'm telling you the fans will love it. They miss you on the show so..."

"No." she responded cutting him off. He looked a bit shocked and taken aback by her response as he tried to convince her to change her response.

"Take some time to think about it. I'm willing to double the amount you get per episode and I also have a great person to replace Brody as your manager. He was my manager when I first started out in..."

"Sorry Finn. I appreciate the offer but...no. I can't do it." she replied. "I miss being on the show but it's just...I have a lot I'm dealing with here." Finn sat in silence. He tried to think of what he could say to convince her to come with him, but he knew if he pushed too hard then he wouldn't get her at all. He stood up and reached in his pocket for a card before handing it to her. She looked at the card and stood as well as they walked to the door.

"Promise me you'll think about it." Finn said with a last hug before exiting out the door. Mercedes closed the door behind him then looked down at the card that had the name of the manager he was referring her to sign with.

"William Schuester?" she read to herself then placed it in her pocket. "Last thing I need is another man to manage me."

Later that evening, her father came home with dinner since he was a bit later than normal. Normally, she was happy to see him but this time she was a bit more pensive than he was used to since she moved back in. He noticed upon entry but decided not to push it. He wondered if she was still thinking about what they'd talked about the night before. She cried. He cried. Then he went to bed with a headache from all the crying. It was a conversation they needed to have and he honestly didn't want to go deeper without a therapist involved. As they ate dinner, he decided it he needed to be there for her even if it meant crying again.

"Baby girl, are you okay?" he asked as she looked over at him as if she was first seeing him since he came home. "You haven't said a thing since I got home."

"My minds been all over the place, daddy."

"Does it have something to do with what we talked about last night?"

"Oh no, daddy, no." she responded before reaching for his hands. "I had a visitor today. Do you remember the guy that gave me the offer for the show Gleek?"

"Yeah, the tall guy in that picture you showed me?"

"Yes. He wants me back on the show." she added before looking away from him and down at her fingers as she pulled away from him. She wondered what he was thinking but couldn't bare to look at him. She knew they were trying to rebuild their relationship and going back to Gleek would make that impossible.

"Oh." he paused to wipe his mouth. "Is this something you want? To return to the show?"

"I don't even know." she replied as she looked up at him and shrugged. "I miss singing..."

"Mercedes..."

"He offered to double what I was getting before to bring me back. And with Brody gone, I might get more serious story-lines."

"Baby girl..."

"But, I don't want to stop working on fixing our relationship. I know being away will make it hard to fix." They both fell silent as they tried to find the right words to say. Ed wanted to be the father that she needed to show he could be there for her.

"Give me a minute." he said as he stood up and went into his office then took out a box that he had since she was a baby. He brought it out to her and sat the box on the table. He looked over at Mercedes and smiled as he opened the box.

"Daddy, what is this?" she asked as she watched him take out the contents of the box.

"When you were born, you were so tiny. You practically fit in the palm of my hand. I may be exaggerating but my memory isn't at its best anymore." he smiled as he pulled out her preemie diaper. "Look at how small this is." he handed it to her. She took it and laughed.

"Look at my big butt now."

"This was your bracelet in there." he added as he handed it over to her. "And here's a picture of you inside of that incubator." he handed it over to her as well. She looked at the picture and stroked it. She was crying as if she was in pain. "I used to reach in there to hold your hand. You would hold on to my hand so tight. It was almost as if you didn't want me to ever let go." He gave her a couple more pictures. Each and every one of them was of her crying. "The nurses said you had a set of lungs on you. You were born to sing, baby girl. I should have promised you then but I will promise you now that whatever you decided I will support you." he added as he just stared at another picture before handing it to her.

"Do you have any pictures of me not crying? Geesh! I must have been a headache as a baby." she stated with a chuckle.

"That's why I had tiny. She was a Godsend." he chuckled then stopped. "Oh and this. I don't know why but this picture here made you stop crying." he handed her a picture of two babies holding hands with a couple of smiling nurses. Mercedes stared at the picture with a smile as he continued to explain. "The nurses said the only way to stop you both from crying was to keep you near each other. And it worked, even in a picture." he added as she flipped the picture and read the names on the back.

"Baby M. Jones and Baby S. Fabray." she said the names a couple of times in her head because the last name sounded familiar. It slowly dawned on her where she'd heard that last name. "Wait...I think I know him." she said softly as her dad looked at her.

"I don't know, Mercedes."

"No, dad, I know him." as she placed her finger on the picture she felt a shiver up her spine. "He was adopted. He doesn't go by Fabray." she smiled as she looked over at her dad. "Dad, this is Sam Evans." Mercedes stared at the picture and knew that this was a sign. She knew what she had to do.

* * *

Sam was in his dressing room with Britt as he watched her play with her cat, Lord Tubbington. Sam had never seen anyone talk to their pets the way she spoke to this cat. At times, he found some of the things she allowed her cat to do quite disgusting but then she'd do something cute that made him forget it. Their relationship was getting a bit better. Sam had finally gotten over what he thought he had with Mercedes. Or at least that was what he told himself.

"Hey Sam, can you give me that chocolate bar over there?" Britt said as she pointed towards the chocolate bar near him. "I read online that if a cat eats chocolate that they leave behind chocolate treats." she said as stroked her cats head. Sam looked at her awkwardly and was prepared to talk her out of it when he received a call from his manager. He handed her the candy bar anyway and answered the call.

"Hey Will, how's everything?" he asked. Finn introduced Sam to Will Schuester over the break when he found out that Sam never wasted time getting a manager or agent. He was able to renegotiate Sam's contract to him more money per episode since he became a regular on the show.

"How's my favorite client doing?" Will asked every time he spoke to Sam. Normally Sam was annoyed by it but he had to admit things were great since he got Will as a manager. Sam had his own apartment and a nice car to boot. He was also able to take Britt on nice dates when she was not acting weird.

"I'm doing great. We're about to get on set in a little bit."

"That's good. I have some meetings lined up for you. A couple magazines want to do a spread with you."

"That's awesome." Sam smiled. Since signing with Will he'd been on commercials and so many interviews, he'd lost track.

"I told you I was going to make you a star. Let's meet up tomorrow. You won't be on set." Will added before giving Sam the information. "We'll talk tomorrow." Sam hung up the phone and looked down at Britt as she pushed Lord Tubbington to leave a treat for her.

"Babe, we gotta get on set."

"Okay." she replied quick then whisper to the cat that she'll be looking forward to the treats when she returns.

Once they left the dressing room, they could hear some commotion at the entrance. Brittany reached for Sam's hand and held it as they walked over to see what was going on. They could see Finn's head in the mix as he was taller than everyone on set. Sam also noticed Marley jumping for joy over whoever it was that was in the center. Sam felt as if they were walking in slow motion as they walked towards the crowd.

"I wonder what's going on?" Brittany asked as they finally reached where everyone was. Towards the center, Sam could see her curly hair and immediately felt his heart skip a beat. He loosened his hand from Brittany without even noticing but when she tightened grip and pulled him back, he looked back at her. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah...uh...of course." he responded just as Mercedes appeared from the crowd. He watched as she made her way through the crowd, hugging and laughing with each one. He watched her smile at everyone and laugh her contagious laugh before landing her eyes on his. He thought he was over her but it was obvious with the chilling feeling in his spine that he wasn't. Her smile softened a bit as she slowly walked towards him then placed both her hands in her back pocket.

"Hey Sam. I'm back."

* * *

**Howdy y'all! Thank you for still reading this mess. And I know some of you want to me to update faster. Some of you have been reading my old Fics in between updates LOL (here's looking at you HomiesOverHos).**

**I appreciate yall for being patient with me.**

**Also, I know you all want Sam to have that talk with Quinn. I didn't have that in mind but I will see where I can squeeze that in.**

**Also...Mercedes knows they've been connected since birth. I've gone back and forth over how she was going to find this out. Hope you all enjoy.**


	16. Chapter 16

***Y'all don't be mad at me. I did something naughty. Its quick but naughty.***

* * *

Sam and Mercedes stood in front of each other in silence, whilst their eyes spoke volumes. He can see that she was happy to see him and he was happy to see her as well. He wanted to hug her and that caused him to subconsciously release Brittany's hand once again. He finally snapped out of his trance when she held his hand once again and gave it a slight tug.

"How have you been?" she asked when he didn't respond. Sam wanted to tell her that he'd spent weeks wondering why she never responded to his text message. Weeks wondering if she was upset with him over what he wrote. Weeks pushing away his feelings for her only to have them all return with just one look at her. He wanted to say so much, but couldn't find the words. Instead, Brittany took the opportunity to speak causing Mercedes to finally take notice that they were holding hands.

"Hey, I'm Brittany. I've heard so much about you." she said with a smile as Sam watched Mercedes step back and look at Brittany. "You're such an amazing singer." she added as Mercedes eyes went back to Sam then focused on their hands before looking back between them again. "When you sang and danced to Bust Your Windows, I practiced that choreo for days. I even bought your version on iTunes." Brittany admitted.

"Aww thanks. You've been killing it too, girl. I've watched you on the show this season and you're amazing on the dance floor." Mercedes said with a genuine smile. She wondered why Sam wasn't talking. She wondered why he wasn't hugging her as much as she wanted to hug him at that moment. Was he still mad that she never responded to the text? Did he no longer have feelings for her? "No way." she thought to herself. The way he was looking at her right now, there was still something there. She could feel it. There connection was strong. When she finally tells them they've been connected since they were born, she'd hope he'd come around.

"You gotta show me how to hit those high notes."

"You gotta show me that Beyonce routine." Mercedes responded before looking at their hands again then back at Sam. He was still holding her hand. "We should catch up soon." she added. Sam looked as if he was going to respond but before he could, Marley came and swept Mercedes away.

"Mercedes, I have to show you what we did to welcome you back to the show." Marley said as she guided Mercedes to her dressing room. Sam continued to watch Mercedes walk away with Marley and cursed himself for not saying a word. He never thought he would see her back on set. He'd thought about what he'd say the next time he saw her. And now that she was back, he couldn't find a word to say.

"Are you okay?" Brittany asked. "I thought you and her were friends?"

"We...were." Sam responded. "I think they're ready for us on set." Sam quickly added before Brittany asked any more questions.

Later that day, Brittany decided to spend the night at Sam's. This had become the norm for Sam that he felt as if she had moved in. He spent most of his time on his game console playing with Jake, but tonight he had so much on his mind. He decided to sit out on the balcony and look out at the scenery. His mind jumped from his family back in Lima, his bio-mom and Mercedes returning back to the show. He wished he could talk to her because no one else knew about his situation like she did. He debated calling her but he was still upset about her not responding to him. How was he going to ask her about her not responding without becoming angry? How was he supposed to be in a room with just her and not want to hold her and kiss her? He hated that he was having those thoughts when he now had a girlfriend. He wondered if this was the inner turmoil Mercedes went through after they kissed.

"Hey, what are you doing out here?" Brittany asked as she walked out and sat on his lap. Sam wrapped his arms around her and forced a smile for her. "You've been really quiet since we left set today. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, just a lot on my mind."

"You wanna talk about it?" she asked genuinely. Sam knew he couldn't tell her about the feelings he had for Mercedes. That was something that even Brittany wouldn't be cool with. Sam thought about talking to her about his mother and bio-mother instead, then her cat came outside. "If you want you can talk to Lord Tubbington. Lord Tubbington has been known to take things off peoples minds. Just talk to him." Sam looked down at the cat then back at Brittany and knew she would never get it.

"Thanks babe. I will try that." he lied. She paused as if she had something else to say to him but instead she decided to get off of his lap. She made her way back inside then stopped mid way.

"You never talk to me about things that bother you." she stated without looking at him. "I just want you to know that I'm here for you if you want to talk." She didn't wait for him to respond as she continued back into the apartment.

* * *

Two weeks later, Mercedes tried to find time to catch up with Sam alone. Unfortunately, every time she found Sam, his new girl friend was glued to his side. Mercedes didn't mind Brittany, and if she was honest with herself, she saw what Sam saw in her. She was pretty, quirky, funny, a great dancer and she seemed so simple that it was adorable. She wondered if Sam told her everything that he'd told her. She wondered if Sam was as close to Brittany as he was close to her. She didn't want to feel jealous but there were times when she saw them kissing that she wished she never saw. Sam never noticed her looking but Mercedes couldn't help but see it and hate it.

Luckily for her Finn was finally getting Mercedes the time she needed with Sam. After waiting for her time back on set, it was finally time to film the scene where they would show how she'd return. Mercedes couldn't wait to dive into it because she knew this would finally give them time alone. Based on the script, Kendra was a bit more ballsy than Mercedes was. She had the confidence to shoot her shot and get the things she wanted. She was willing to just say straight up, that she was willing to fight for the man that she wanted. Any chance she got she took it to express that she wanted to be with Josh again.

"So, I'm supposed to just catch Josh walking down the hallway and hold his hands in front of everybody?" Mercedes asked as she looked between Sam and Finn.

"Yes, and of course Josh will tell Kendra that he has moved on since the kiss you all shared."

"I just feel like Kendra wouldn't just chase after Josh like this." Mercedes said even though she was speaking more of what she wouldn't do over what Kendra would do.

"Kendra's been gone a summer. She's senior now. She's not letting anything stand in the way of her having everything she wants her senior year. She's grown so much and this will show the viewers that." Finn explained. Sam looked at Mercedes and could sense that she didn't exactly like the story-line. If he was honest, the whole thing made him nervous. He wondered if he knew where to draw the line from what is on script and his true feelings. He worried that eventually it would be hard to see those blurred lines.

"Am I supposed to seem like I really moved on or as if I am struggling with it all?"

"Well, we want there to still be some feelings between the two of you that Josh will struggle with, so yes definitely struggle with it." Finn replied before looking over at Mercedes. "Kendra on the other hand, she has her mind made up and she wants Josh back. I want her to bold with her feelings for you." Finn responded to Sam with a smile. He was loving the script changes even if it put Mercedes' character in a position that made her a homewrecker. As far as he was concerned, angry or happy fans will still continue to watch the show.

"I don't know about all of this. I just feel like this kind of makes Kendra look like a homewrecker. Won't the fans hate her if she goes after Sam...I mean Josh." Mercedes added and quickly corrected herself. "Some fans loved Kendra with Josh while others gave me a hard time. I know I hide it well but there were some racist viewers that didn't like Kendra being with Josh. You don't think this will just fuel that hate in them for me?" Mercedes asked. She normally ignored all the hate but she wished Finn just made Josh and Britt character break up without involving her in the story.

"Mercedes, I didn't know you went through that." Sam said finally saying something directly to her.

"I always block and report them."

"Look, Mercedes, I get it. But I've learned that you will get trolls no matter what. I want to focus on the happy fans." Finn replied. Mercedes could tell that she was not going to get the change that she wanted. And although she hated to admit it, she knew he was right. "Trust me. We're doing this in a subtle cutesy way that will have the fans conflicted and eventually they will see that you two are meant to be together." Finn replied. "Regardless of race."

"You mean the characters are meant to be together."

"Whose to say." Mercedes quickly replied as she looked over at Sam. He tried to avoid eye contact as he pretended to look around the set.

"So, how long will this love triangle go?"

"Three episodes. The endgame is evident. Josh and Kendra are meant to be. We will not stretch the love story long." Finn made his back to his director chair then gave them the queue. Mercedes made her way to the spot where she was directed to stand and wait for Sam to walk down the hall before taking his hand. "ACTION!" Finn shouted. All the extras began to walk and talk amongst themselves then Mercedes made her way towards where they would intersect. Once she reached for Sam's hand, she felt a jolt of electricity that caused the both of them move apart. "CUT! CUT! What's going on you guys? That was almost perfect."

"Uh...I don't know what happened." Sam replied as he looked at his hand then back at Mercedes before giving it a quick shake.

"Um...I think it was static electricity. Can we try again?" Mercedes responded as she wiped her hands on her pants. "My bad." she added as she made her way back to her spot.

"ACTION!" Finn said as they both made it back to their spots. This time, everything happened in slow motion. She felt every step she took. Even though the hallway was filled with extras, Sam could feel Mercedes getting closer. When she finally placed her hand in his, based on the script he was supposed to pull away but for a brief second he held longer.

"What are you doing?"

"Holding your hand."

"Uh...Kendra." he pulled his hand away and faced her as the smile that was just on her face went away. "Look, I'm happy you're back but I'm with someone now."

"Oh yeah, I heard you were dating a cheerleader. What's her name?"

"Brit..."

"Yeah her." Kendra said cutting him off. Josh rolled his eyes and continued walking towards his locker.

"She's my girlfriend now. Whatever we had before the break..."

"Are you trying to say you no longer have feelings for me anymore?" she asked cutting him off again and leaned against the locker. They locked eyes and for a brief moment Mercedes could feel they were no longer their character. This was Sam and Mercedes looking at each other again. Even though they weren't saying anything, she could see Sam's eyes soften.

"Look we shared a quick peck..."

"It was more than that." Kendra replied cutting him off with a smirk. As Mercedes remembered it the kiss was definitely more than a peck.

"Yeah it was but I really like what I have with Britt right now."

"That's not answering my initial question." she replied with a smile as she leaned toward him. He stepped back and smiled at her before continuing to slowly step away from her before turning around and making his way to his next class.

"I have to get to class, Kendra." Sam stated. Even thought Mercedes hated this line, she still said it and delivered the performance as written.

"I don't believe what you're saying Josh! You still have feelings for me and I'm going to prove it to you." she shouted behind him as he walked away blushing.

"Cut!" Finn shouted. "Mercedes, that was not your line. You're supposed to say 'I don't care how cool your new girlfriend is, I'm gonna fight to get you back.' What happened?"

"I wasn't feeling that line, Finn. It didn't feel like Kendra to me." Mercedes responded. Everyone was quiet for a few minutes as Finn replayed that last few minutes then sighed before nodding.

"You're lucky I liked it." he responded before smiling at her. "Let's get to the next scene. Where's my Stella?" he shouted as Mercedes looked back at Sam. She couldn't tell from where she was but it looked like he had a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Just like Kendra, Mercedes knew he was holding back his feelings for her. She was just going to have to be patient and wait till he was ready to face them head on.

* * *

After filming on set for hours, Mercedes couldn't wait to talk to Sam. She knew that Sam would be in his dressing room preparing to leave for the day. She knew today would be the best day to talk to Sam, since Brittany was not on set that day. She made her way towards his room and just as she was knocking he was already heading out. They both stopped and stared at each other once again. It was becoming a norm for the both of them at this point but she wanted to talk to him. They needed to talk.

Sam smiled at her and dropped his backpack on the ground before pulling her into his dressing room. He'd been thinking about this moment since the last time they kissed on set. This would be different. This would be Sam kissing Mercedes. He knew that as much as he wanted to, he just couldn't. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as he took in her intoxicating aroma. He looked into her eyes and smiled as he placed his head against hers. Their nose rubbed against each other softly as he resisted kissing her the way he's wanted to kiss her. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. He hated that he could no longer resist and kissed her the way he'd always wanted to kiss her.

"Sam." Mercedes said repeatedly before deciding to snap her fingers in his face to get him out of the trance that he seemed to have been trapped in. "Hey...you in there?" she asked as she smiled at him as he snapped back into reality. She giggled as she wondered what he was thinking about before leaning on the his doorway. "Are you going to let me in or do I have to barge in?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Um...yeah, sorry I was just leaving." he replied as he stepped back and allowed her in. "Brittany's waiting for me at the apartment." he added as he watched her walk in. Mercedes didn't know that he was that serious with her that they lived together.

"She lives with you?" Mercedes asked as she turned to watch him stand in the doorway. Sam slowly closed the door and shrugged. He didn't know how to answer that question honestly. If anyone came over they would assume that she did live there. She rarely ever went home. "You guys are serious?" he took a deep breath because that was also a question he wasn't sure about as well. "So, you meant what you said on set?"

"Mercedes." he responded instead. She could tell that he was not liking what she was asking so she decided to back off a bit.

"I see." she replied before making her way over to him. "I thought you'd be happier to see me like I was happy to see you." she admitted. "When Finn asked me to return, all I kept thinking is how good it will be to finally see my friend again." she walked closer to him and placed her hand on his then added: "I missed you." he looked as if he was going to say he missed her too but instead he removed his hand from hers. "I don't want to come between what you have with Brittany. She's actually pretty cool." She admitted. As much as she knew in her core that they belonged together, Mercedes did not want to make Sam cheat. She truly just wanted to have Sam back in her life. "I just want my friend back." she finally said. Sam looked at her and had to admit he missed her as well. Just as Brittany said to him, he needed someone to talk to and she was always the right person to do that with.

"I want my friend back too." he finally admitted causing a smile to spread across her face as she pulled him in for a hug. "A lot of things has happened since you left."

"A lot of things has happened to me too. You have no idea how much. We have so much catching up to do. You gotta tell me everything."

* * *

**Hey y'all thanks for being patient with me and continuing to read this story of mine. Sorry that I teased yall lol I just never wrote a fic that went 16 chapters without Sam and Mercedes already damn near married with children. This slow burn is getting on my nerves. Anywho, I'm trying not to rush it but dammit I want them to be together already lol.**

**Oh did you guys peep the gender swap scenes? Leave a comment if you remember which episode this was.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Song used Through The Rain by Mariah Carey**

* * *

Sam and Mercedes talked for what felt like hours. They slowly paced towards his car trying to make the moment last longer. He was happy she was here and more importantly that they were talking again. He couldn't remember the last time that he laughed this much. Once they reached his car they both just stood in silence as they stared at each other. He wanted to hug her but he wasn't sure if he wouldn't want to kiss her as well. The last thing he wanted to do was cheat on Brittany.

"You know," she chuckled before placing her hands in her back pocket and then smiling up at him. "We do this a lot."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked as he smiled back at her and leaned back against his car.

"We tend to talk in silence every once and a while." she replied as her smile softened. "As much as we may think otherwise, it's really loud." she added before they fell into silence again. "Here we go again."

"I guess we have a lot to say." Sam responded as they both laughed. "I missed hearing you laugh." he confessed as they fell silent again.

"I missed you." she admitted before stepping closer to him then stopping just a few steps from him. It was almost as if she had to stop herself from coming even closer. "I watched the show every week just to keep up with you."

"Seriously?" he asked in shock. He thought that she hadn't watched the show after she left. His mind replayed a couple episodes that even he was ashamed of before he cringed at the thought. "Even the episode where they made me have that crazy multiple personality and pretend to be my own twin?" he asked causing her to laugh again.

"Yes, especially that episode. I laughed at how you were committed to both characters."

"They never bring that up again. Almost as if it all was an illusion or something."

"Yeah, they tend to do that on Gleek."

"Oh what about that crazy episode where they made you stand on a table protesting about tots? Whose idea was that?" Sam asked.

"I hated doing that episode." Mercedes responded as she thought back to wanting to argue with Finn about that scene but deciding to keep it all in because she thought she could get fired. "Let's talk about how Josh was dyslexic and we never hear him bring it up again."

"We've met everyone's parents on the show but Kendra's and Finn flew to Lima to get you back on the show."

"Preach!" Mercedes said as she thought about how true his statement was. "Do you wanna talk about how you put cereal on the ground to get Britt to date you?" she added as Sam shook his head before laughing as well. When he was given the script he tried to fight it but Finn really believed it was comedy gold. "Y'all made that poor girl eat off that nasty floor." she reached over and jabbed Sam softly on his arm.

"Awww man! I try to act like that episode didn't happen." he responded as he looked away from her.

"Took me a while to realize how cute you guys are together." she admitted causing Sam to look at her again. "I was...uh...happy for you. I am...happy for you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." she replied softly. "I like seeing you happy." Sam wasn't sure if she was being honest, because he hated seeing her with Brody. To him, there was nothing cute about seeing her with him. He was happy when he found out that they'd broken up. He wondered if she was happy as well.

"Are you happy?"

"Hmmm?"

"When you were with Brody, you didn't seem happy." Sam responded before stepping forward and reaching for her hand. "Are you happy now?" she looked down at their hands for a few seconds before looking back at him and smiling.

"I am now."

* * *

Later that night, Sam made it home and was happy to find Brittany left him a note that she was with her parents that evening. She told him that Lord Tubbington had an appointment with a therapist the next day and she needed to be there. Sam smiled mainly because he finally had time to be alone. He decided to play a quick game with Jake as he complained about relationship issues he was having with Marley. Sam still couldn't believe they were still together, because it was obvious Jake was not in it for the right reasons.

"She has become a stage five clinger, dude." Jake said as Sam tried not to think of Mercedes again. They talked for hours and yet all Sam wanted to do was talk to her some more.

"If you're not happy with her break up with her, bro." Sam advised to the sound of Jake scoffing.

"Are you trying to get me kicked off the show, bro? I break up with her then I'm a goner for sure."

"That's not true. Finn likes the drama. He'd probably add it to the script." Sam replied.

"The fans love me being with Marley. If I break up with her they will definitely stop following me and I'll lose out more than a part of being on the show."

"You have a point there." Sam responded as he wondered what would happen if he broke things off with Brittany. She had a nice cult following since she joined the show. He also didn't know that Mercedes had a lot of hate for the scenes they had together before she left. If he began dating her after leaving Brittany there's no telling how much hate she'd get then.

"Maybe I can try and date Mercedes again." Jake said as Sam finally snapped back into the conversation. "You think the fans will dig that?"

"Uh...what?"

"Yeah, man. She's single now. And she came back with a lil something something, you know what I'm saying?" Jake added. "I might call her up tonight and see what she's up to, maybe even try to Netflix and chill. You think she'll go for it?" Sam wasn't sure what was wrong but just the thought of Jake thinking of flirting with Mercedes made Sam feel his heart beat quicken. He knew Mercedes wasn't into Jake but he did not want to take the chance of letting him try.

"Um...uh...hey man let me call you back Britt's calling me." Sam lied as he quickly hung up the phone. He scrolled on his phone until he saw her name appear on the phone and debated calling her. He decided to text her instead but stopped when he saw the message he sent her that she'd ignored. He tried to swipe out of the messenger and instead hit the call button. He quickly hung up the phone and did a silent prayer that the call didn't go through or at least she was already sleeping. Seconds later his phone began ringing and her face appeared on the screen of his phone.

"Hey, Sam. You hung up before I could answer the phone." Mercedes said the minute he answered the call.

"I...uh...butt dialed you, I think." he lied.

"Oh..."

"Hope I didn't wake you up."

"It's okay. Are you okay?" she asked as she let out a sound that he could only assume was her yawning and stretching.

"I...uh..."

"Hold on, Sam. Someone is calling me on my other line." she responded before mumbling about not recognizing the number. "What am I a hotline tonight?" was the last thing that Sam heard before she clicked over. Sam prayed that it wasn't Jake calling her on the other line. "Why am I feeling jealous?" Sam asked himself as he tried to calm down.

* * *

Mercedes went to be bed with a smile on her face. She was so happy to have finally spoken to Sam. She thought back to how they hugged before they parted ways. Hugging him felt exactly how she'd imagined it plenty times. She fit perfectly in his arms, especially since she was wearing heels so that he didn't have to bend to reach her. She replayed the conversation multiple times before finally closing her eyes to sleep. She felt as if she'd just closed her eyes when she felt her phone vibrate beside her. For a second, she thought it was a dream but it buzzed a second time before stopping. She reached over for the phone in shock to see Sam's face.

"Sam?" she asked out loud as if someone could answer her. She quickly called him back. "Hey Sam, you hung up before I could answer." She listened to him stammer before she asked if he was okay. He didn't get a chance to respond when she got a call on the other line from a number she didn't recognize. "Who the hell is this now?" she asked herself. "Hold on, Sam. Someone is calling me on my other line." she said with a sigh. "What am I a hotline tonight?" she asked herself before clicking over. "Hello?"

"Hey, Mercedes. Did I wake you?" she heard the voice say. The minute she heard his voice, she sat up and clinched her phone as if she were going to crush it with her bare hands.

"What do you want?" she asked as Brody chuckled a bit.

"Uh, I wanted to talk to you." he responded. "When you left, you didn't give me a chance to explain what..."

"Is he kidding me?" she asked in frustration as she clicked back over to Sam. She hadn't heard from Brody since the night she walked off the stage. She couldn't believe his nerve.

"Is who kidding you?" Sam asked then stammered again to ask: "Was it Jake calling you? Whatever you do, don't talk to Jake."

"Jake? Why the hell would Jake call me?" she asked but then realized it didn't matter. "You know what? It don't even matter." she responded with a chuckle as her other line began to buzz again. "He just won't quit."

"Who?" Sam asked. Mercedes wanted to tell him it was Brody. She wanted to spend this moment venting to someone finally about how she really felt about Brody, but she didn't. She decided that she wanted to not spend another minute on him.

"Someone that I need to block." she replied before quickly changing the subject. "So, why aren't you sleeping?" she asked and forced a smile on her face.

"Uh...I'm usually up at this hour playing video games with Jake. I have issues with sleeping here. It's different compared to Lima."

"Yeah, I can see that. When I first came here, I squinted a lot. I tried to get Finn to take productions over to Vancouver but he refused." she chuckled. "He listens to my suggestions sometimes but the things I really want, he just ignores."

"I'm happy he brought you back. The show really needed you." he added. Mercedes wanted to ask if he needed her too but she decided not to push her luck. She was bolder when she was a teenager chasing after Brody. She would do anything to have half the confidence of her younger self and a portion of Kendra's confidence.

"Yeah, I really missed being on the show but I really needed that time to spend with my dad."

"Oh yeah, how was it?"

"It was everything. I missed my daddy. He helped me get over the whole ordeal with _he who will not be named_."

"So, you think you're over him?" Sam asked.

"Hell to the yeah." she quickly replied. "I should apologize to you because you tried to talk to me about him but I wouldn't listen."

"It's okay. If the shoe was on the other foot, I know I would have responded the same way." Mercedes wanted to respond that the shoe was on the other foot now but decided to remain silent instead. When Sam tried to warn her about Brody, it just pushed her away from him and the last thing she wanted to do was push Sam away. "We're doing that thing we do again." he said as they both began to laugh.

"I really don't know why we do that." she lied and continued to laugh. She knew exactly why they fell silent. They both had things they wanted to say to each other that they decide is better left unsaid. Mercedes knew that if she did say something to him about her real feelings, there would be no turning back. "So back to you and this insomnia. Have you tried talking to someone about what keeps you up at night?"

"Uh...I guess it's just a lot on my mind." he replied then paused before taking a deep breath in and sighing. "Do you remember the letter my mom sent me from my bio-mom?" he asked.

"Yeah. Did you write her back?" Mercedes asked. She always wanted to know what happened with his bio-mom. "I always wondered if you all were able to meet up."

"Well, other things happened right after you left...shit kind of hit the fan." Sam responded.

"What do you mean?" Mercedes asked as she sat up. "Wait, hold up. Start at the beginning." Mercedes listened as Sam told her exactly what happened when he received a call from his sister inviting him to stay over for the break. Mercedes felt a bit of guilt as he explained leaving because he felt he needed a break. She knew he left because she ignored him and left him without even saying goodbye. "Oh Sam."

"It's okay. Like you said, everything happens for a reason." he replied as he continued telling her about meeting his sister Kitty and he explained how her father was rude to him. "I decided then that I needed to leave that chapter of my life. I was so determined to finally meet her that I didn't even question the fact that Kitty was arranging everything."

"Sam." she said as she shook her head. She wished she was there for him through out of that. "I'm sorry you had to go through that alone."

"I think I would've been embarrassed if I went there with someone else. I just wished she would have been there or tried to meet with me." he admitted then sighed. "I know she was a teen when she gave me up. And I know I could never understand what was going through her mind."

"Sam." she managed to say his name softly as he paused before continuing. She could hear his voice cracking as he spoke. She could tell he was holding it all in all this time and now he was finally letting it all out.

"I don't want to get to know her. I don't want to interrupt her life any more than I have already. I just want to ask her one thing. I want to stop trying to assume the answer. I just want to know the truth" he paused and she could hear him take in a deep breath. "I don't even know if I can handle the truth if she does tell me, but I think once I know..."

"You'll be able to sleep?"

"Well, it will be one of those things I check off of my brain at night." Sam responded with a slight chuckle. "I just want to meet her, ya know. Ask her the one question and when she answers it, never speak of her again." he paused and they were silent for a brief second before he continued. "I just want to meet her." he repeated once again but it was said so low that Mercedes figured he was saying it to himself.

"Let's do it!" Mercedes exclaimed.

"What?"

"You wanna meet her, right?"

"I'm just talking..."

"So you don't want to meet her?"

"I mean...I think I do."

"Sam." Mercedes said his name softly. She wished she was near him because she could tell that he needed a hug at this moment. He fell silent and she could tell that he was thinking about if he really wanted to meet his bio-mom or if he was finally over the whole ordeal. She could tell that he was thinking it over and possibly over thinking it.

"What if she doesn't want to meet me?" he finally asked.

"We won't know till we try."

"We?"

"Yes, we. I'm with you on this and I will go with you if you want me to." she responded. "I just want you to understand that you don't have to do this by yourself."

"Can I think about it?"

"Haven't you thought about it enough, Sam?" Mercedes asked then realized that she was probably pushing him too hard. "Look, I'm just trying to be there for you. I want you to be well and I want you to get sleep at night. I wasn't there last time and it's eating me up that you went through that alone. Especially as someone that cares about you a lot, I hate that I wasn't and I want to be here for you next time." They fell silent once again. It was so silent that she had to look at the phone to see if the call had dropped. "Sam?"

"I'm here."

"Why'd you go quiet?"

"You care about me."

"Well...of course I care about you, Sam. You're my best friend. Quite possibly my only friend but my best friend either way." she admitted.

"Then why didn't you respond to my message?" he asked. She knew he was going to ask about that eventually and she wished he'd waited for another time because she did not have an answer. She debated telling him that he was right about their special connection. She wanted to tell him that they'd been connected since the day that they were born. She wanted to tell him that he did cross the line with her when she was with Brody but she wasn't innocent in the situation either. She wanted to tell him that it was hard for to hold back how she felt for him as well, but she didn't.

"Sam..." she paused. "I was with...that guy...and I...I don't know why I didn't respond. But...I do care about you, Sam. And I think you should meet this Quinn Fabray and finally get some good sleep." They fell silent once again before she finally broke the silence. "So, are we doing it?"

"Can I think about it?"

"Sure take all the time you need. When you're ready just let me know." she replied before yawning. "Do you feel sleepy yet?"

"Not really. If you're sleepy, we can talk tomorrow. You don't have to stay up with me." he quickly said. She didn't want to stop talking to him but she was really getting sleepy. She decided it was time to pull out the big guns.

"Wanna try something?"

"What's that?"

"Let me try singing you to sleep." she offered. She wasn't sure if it was going to work but she wanted to be there for him and wanted this to work.

"Uh..." he chuckled. "That's not going to work but I love your voice. Let me get comfortable." he added.

"Close your eyes. Don't say a word. Just listen." she whispered softly into the phone before beginning to sing. "When you get caught in the rain with nowhere to run. When you're distraught and in pain without anyone. When you keep crying out to be safe but nobody comes. And you feel so far away that you just can't find your way home. You can get there alone, it's okay, what you say is." she paused briefly before singing the next lyric. "I can make it through the rain...I can stand up once again on my own...And I know that I'm strong enough to mend...And every time I feel afraid I hold tighter to my faith...And I live one more day and I make it through the rain." she smiled when she heard soft snores coming from his end of the phone. "Good night, Sam."

* * *

**Hey yall...thanks for returning and reviewing. I just want to say for those of you that check when I update, you can follow the story to get updates or just come here every weekend. That is when I get free time, so that's when I update.**

**OOH...can you guys guess the episodes that they were joking about...leave a review if you know which episodes they were joking about**


	18. Chapter 18

Weeks after Sam and Mercedes spent that night on the phone with each other, things seemed to have returned to normal for the two of them. Sam would never go a night without speaking to Mercedes first and because of Brittany, he sometimes had to sneak to do these phone calls too. Mercedes had no clue that he was sneaking around to call her because from her viewpoint their conversations were always friendly and never flirtatious. Mercedes did not want to be the other woman and as much as she hated to admit it, she actually liked Brittany. For the few times that she was on set, Mercedes and her bonded over music and dancing. Brittany even asked her about her history with Sam, to which Mercedes told her she had nothing to worry about. She promised Brittany that her and Sam were just really close friends. She secretly wished that Brittany was a bitch so that she wouldn't feel guilty for the way she felt about Sam and lying to Brittany about it all. She tried to force herself to bury her feelings for him but they only grew stronger as Finn decided to make them have even more screen time together. The more scenes they had together, the less Brittany was on set. And on those days Sam and Mercedes would spend a lot of time together. There were days that they would eat lunch in her room or at times in Sam's room. The one day they decided to have lunch off set at a restaurant that Jake and Marley suggested they check they ended up seeing someone they both didn't want to see.

"So, I have another audition for that movie I told you about." Sam stated as he held the door opened for her. He'd been waiting all day to tell her about it and see if she'd help him with his lines. When he got the callback, she was the first person he wanted to share the news with and see her excitement for him.

"Wait, are you talking about that superhero action series that you wouldn't shut up about? The one I told you that you would get because you're awesome?" she teased. She was extremely proud of him and honestly felt as if she needed to put herself out there as well. He motivated her every time he told her about a new audition that Will sent him on.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, but you know I was nervous when I first audition but they like that I can do most of my own stunts. The part I play is small with potential to grow for the sequel if I really kill it." he admitted as they both waited to be seated.

"I'm so proud of you, Sam." she replied as she gave him a hug. She would have hugged him if he told her he woke up before his alarm went off that morning. She just wanted to have a reason to wrap her arms around him without feeling guilty afterwards.

"Don't be proud yet...I still have one more audition before I get the part." he responded as he held her close. Once they stopped hugging a hostess came over and took them to a secluded table in the back of the restaurant. They immediately requested the dish that Marley and Jake suggested before diving back into conversation.

"Look, whether you get the part or not, Sam, you've truly motivated me to put myself out there. I'm going to try and audition for things and see what I can get when this season is over."

"Do you want to meet with Will and see if maybe he can help? He really has gotten me set up nice since I signed with him."

"Thanks but no thanks. After you know who I have decided to stick to female representation instead because..."

"Because what?" Sam asked as he noticed she trailed off and her eyes were focused behind him. When she rolled her eyes, he immediately looked behind him and noticed what cause the sudden shift in her mood.

"Speaking of the freaking devil." she mumbled under her breath as they both watched Brody walk in with a new woman on his arm. Mercedes could not believe she used to be crazy about him. Now that she was looking at him with her eyes opened, she saw how disgusting he looked. And almost as if he could feel her glare on him, his eyes fell upon her eyes. "Did I tell you that he called me? Can you believe the nerve?" she asked as she tried not to look Brody's way. "I hate that he's even breathing our air right now?" Mercedes added. Sam immediately noticed the change in her mood as she tried not to look in his direction.

"Do you want to leave?" he asked. He wanted to have this moment with her but it was obvious that she wouldn't be comfortable with him being in the restaurant as well. He began to stand up but before he was able to do so, she placed her hand on his and darted her eyes in Brody's direction causing Sam to sit. Sam looked over his shoulder only to see Brody heading in their direction.

"He's got some balls on him. Act natural." Mercedes added in a whisper as he finally made it to their table with the girl on his arm. She slid her hand away from his and sat up before glaring at Brody as he stood arm in arm with his arm candy. "Can we help you?" she asked as she looked between him and his date. He smiled at her as if he couldn't tell she was still upset with him then looked over to Sam and allowed his smile to fade away before looking back at her.

"Hey Mercedes, what a shocker to find you here..." he said before looking over at Sam again. "On a date with the one guy you told me I didn't have to worry about." he chuckled before looking at his date and tapping her hand. "Babe, this is my ex...the one I told you about." Mercedes could tell that this girl was about the same age as her and Sam. It was obvious he couldn't keep Rachel because she was too old for him to manipulate. Mercedes felt sorry for the girl but she was not her problem and she needed Brody out of her face.

"We're not on a date." Mercedes quickly responded before the girl could introduce herself. "Sam and I are still just friends like we were when you and I were together. You see unlike you, I was faithful to the end."

"That's nice, Mercedes. I thought by now you'd be over me. I can understand that I am a lot to get over. You're not doing as good as you thought you could be without me, huh?" Brody replied with a smug look on his face. Mercedes hated that Brody knew just what to say to get a response out of her. Sam could see that what Brody was saying was feeding into some insecurity that Mercedes was holding in, so he quickly jumped in.

"Look man, this isn't the time nor the place." Sam said as he stood up and made his way in front of Brody. As Sam stood firmly in front of him, Brody stood firmly as well as they glared at each other. "Do you need me to help you get back to your table?" Sam asked through gritted teeth. Although Mercedes would have been embarrassed to see them fight, she couldn't help how turned on she was to see Sam talking to Brody this way.

"Mercedes, tell your little friend to back down, this isn't the type of trouble that he wants." Brody said to Mercedes without removing his glare from Sam's. Mercedes sighed out loud as she was still annoyed with Brody's obsession with being older than Sam.

"There's nothing little about me. I wanted to tell you about that the last time you called me little but seems I need to show you." Sam responded as he stepped a bit closer just as the manager of the restaurant came to see if there was a problem.

"Gentlemen, we cannot behave like this here. I'm going to have to ask your group to leave at once."

"We are not a group." Brody responded as he placed a fake smile on his face. "Me and my date will leave. I know some place better that I can take her. You two enjoy this. I know this is the best you two have ever experienced." He looked over at Mercedes once more then back at Sam before they excused themselves. Sam glared at his back as he left. He wasn't sure how he was able to keep from punching Brody in the face but he felt himself slowly return to his seat as the manager excused himself.

"Sam, I'm sorry about that." She quickly apologized as the waitress came over with their dish. "I don't know why I let him get to me."

"I think he enjoys getting people riled up." Sam responded as he took a sip of his drink. "Let's not waste anymore energy on him." he added before switching the subject. "So, you were saying that you were going to get a woman to be your agent. Have you found someone yet?"

"I think I did. I have a meeting with her next week to talk strategies." Mercedes responded as she took a sip of her drink as well. "Her name is Holly Hollywood Holiday. She's a bit extra but she seems cool. She's interested in what I have to give and what I want to do. She's believes in what I have and what I want to do. I can finally follow my dreams unlike...whatever. He thinks I can't make it without him and maybe he's right. I don't want to believe him but since I left him all I've had is Gleek and I can't help but wonder. Maybe without him I'm just skim milk..."

"Hey...you're no skim milk." Sam said as he cut her off then reached over to put his hand over hers. She paused and stared at their hands, immediately feeling a rush run through her as he rubbed the top of her hand with thumb softly. She softly rubbed his with her thumb before moving her hand from under his to intertwine her fingers with his. For a brief moment, they were in their own world and holding hands not remembering they were out in public. They continued talking without noticing that there was a paparazzi right outside taking a picture of them.

* * *

Days had went by since that day, and Mercedes was waiting to meet with her new agent Holly at a near by coffee shop. She'd met with Holly once since agree to work with her. She wasn't as nervous with meeting her as she was with meeting her this time. Although Sam calmed her down, she couldn't help but hear the words Brody said repeating in her head. She was nervous about telling Holly that although she loved acting, she wanted really focus on her music and finally put an album out as well as try out for movies. She wanted to stay busy and get her name out there besides Gleek and opening for a Wish-she-had-been. As she tried to think of all the things that she would say, Holly came in with a magazine under her arm and ordered herself a drink before joining Mercedes.

"Hey Holly...I was going to order you something but wasn't sure when you would get here." Mercedes said with a smile as Holly sat down and removed her glasses then set down the magazine in front of Mercedes. "What's this? Gossip Magazine? I don't read this junk."

"Well your fans do." Holly said with a smirk that said she knew something that Mercedes didn't. "Last time we met, you told me that your last agent was also your boyfriend, right?"

"He's my ex...he's no longer my..."

"Not the point." Holly interrupted. "You dated him, right?" she asked and waited for Mercedes to nod. "Don't be ashamed. Ex boyfriends are like assholes...we all have them and they all stink."

"Well...I guess that's one way to look at it." Mercedes responded with a chuckle.

"The reason I asked is because he's been spreading this rumor that you're dating your co-star Sam Evans." Holly added causing Mercedes' laugh to cut short. "You seem shocked. Is this true or not? He seems to be making waves, any way we can see what's going on there?"

"No. Absolutely not."

"Wait...why not?" Holly asked as she took the magazine and flipped through the pages before handing it over to Mercedes again. "This picture makes you two look like a cute couple. And honestly, the fans are loving it." Mercedes stared at the picture in shock and immediately wondered if Sam had seen these pictures. Or if Brittany saw them. How was she going to explain how she was staring into Sam's eyes as they held hands in a romantic intimate section of a restaurant. "Some are hating it and calling you a homewrecker, but you ain't hitting big time if you don't have haters calling you all types of names. I was called a homewrecker too." she added casually. "His wife was being dramatic. I wanted nothing to do with his home."

"Look Holly, I am not what these people are saying. I don't want you to get the wrong idea about me. I don't sleep around. Sam and I are just friends who happen to kiss a few times on set for a big time show. People are just taking a friendship and stretching it."

"You two look as if you kiss off set too."

"We don't."

"But you want to, huh?" Holly asked and widened her smile when Mercedes didn't answer. "It's okay, sister. I've been there and if he was older I would have done that." she smiled. "If the rumors aren't true, only way to fight it is to say nothing. The more you say the more they will flip it on you."

"Okay." Mercedes responded hating that this situation was eclipsing the meeting. She wanted to talk about her goals but for fifteen minutes, Holly was telling her what she needed to do to fix the backlash. One of them was to keep her distance from Sam for the time being.

"Only do your scenes and then remove yourself from where ever he is until this blows over." Holly reached into her purse and pulled out a mini tablet and began typing on it before handing it to Mercedes. "Now that that is handled. Let's get down to business. Last time we met, we discussed your album that you've been working way too long on. I listened to the music and I'm going to be honest with you. They are all dated."

"They are all classics."

"You're right but they sounded like classics that someone else chose." Holly responded causing Mercedes to realize that she never really picked the songs. Brody brought her a list of songs to pick and from that she felt as if she selected the songs but it was limited from what he wanted her to sing. "And why were all your songs covers?"

"The fans love when I sing covers."

"Look girly, that's fine for a night of karaoke but guess what else fans like? Hearing you sing your own music. Mercedes your voice is a powerhouse and you are meant to bring the house down with your own music." Holly added before pointing the tablet. "So, I have met with Finn already and we have arranged for these dates to be opened for you to be in the recording studio. When you are there you will be working on your album, and squeeze in a few sesh for Gleek music. We are meeting with producers and songwriters next week so that we get this ball rolling quickly. Finn says that we have one day to do that though since you have some heavy scenes with Sam coming up."

"He agreed to all of this?" Mercedes asked as she looked down at all the days he agreed to allow her to work on her music. She was beyond shocked and happy to see that Holly was taking her serious. She started to realize how dating someone like Brody was such a horrible idea. She was young and he took that and ran with it. She felt she was in good hands with Holly. "What about when the shows on hiatus?" Mercedes asked with a smile on her face.

"That's where you come in." Holly replied. "Last time we met we only discussed music. With this schedule I feel the album wouldn't take a lot of time to get it down. What else are you interested in doing?"

"Well, I was thinking that I can try working on a movie. I don't want to limit myself like I've been doing so far."

"Anything you want to focus on? Comedy, horror, action, crime or musicals?" Holly asked as she smiled at Mercedes' response. Mercedes tried to think about what Sam said to her when she called herself skim milk and felt herself smile.

"All of it. I don't want to limit myself."

"That's what I like to hear." Holly responded before leaning towards her. "Before we get back to business, is this whole Sam being adopted thing another rumor that Brody is spreading with this girl named Kitty? She's claiming to be his sister." Mercedes couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew he was mad at her but he never thought that he would stoop as low to broadcast Sam's business as a retaliation. How was she supposed to avoid Sam without talking to him about the mess she just dragged him in.

"I have to go talk to Sam." Mercedes said quickly realizing that she had to talk to him. She had to be there for him through this. "I'm sorry Holly. I will call you so that we can finish this but I gotta be there for him right now."

* * *

Sam was on cloud nine and he couldn't wait to talk to Mercedes to tell her how great he did with his audition. She wasn't needed on set that day and he knew she was meeting with her new agent so he didn't want to bother. He also felt that he'd want to tell her face to face because he knew she'd hug him and he really wanted to hug her. Those were the thoughts that ran through his head as he waited to finish his scene where his character tells Brittany's that he has feelings for Kendra. Although the scene was fiction, he hated how real the words were to their situation. Every time he read the lines he felt as if someone was whispering in his ears that he needed to tell her about his feelings for Mercedes. Especially after their moment at the restaurant. Although they were merely holding hands, he hated that when they parted ways all he could think about was wanting to kiss her. Every time he read the script, he would flip through to see if he had any kissing scenes with Mercedes. If the characters were flipped, Sam knew that Josh would have kissed Kendra anyway but Mercedes was getting a lot of hate from Brittany fans so he understood Finn's choice to tone down their flirting.

"Sam and Brittany to the set!" he heard them instruct. He was already on set but Brittany was no where to be found. "Where's Brittany?" he heard them ask and suddenly started to wonder the same. He got up to go to his room to see if she was in there with her cat but she wasn't. He grabbed his phone and called her to see if she'd respond but instead the call went to voicemail. He noticed Marley talking to Jake and decided to approach them. Once he got closer they stopped talking as if they didn't want him to know what they were discussing.

"Hey, have you guys seen Britt?" he asked as they both looked at him as if he stole something. "What's going on?" Sam asked Jake. He figured if there was something that he needed to know, his best friend Jake would just say it.

"Bro...they got all your business blasted in this newspaper and twitter." Jake explained as he showed him what was going on. "Why didn't you tell me that you and Mercedes had a thing?"

"Wait...what?" Sam asked as he tried to read what was trending. It all was a blur as he read everything that was trending with his name. Multiple trends had him and Mercedes together but the one that had his heart beating was the adoption trending with his name. From what he read Brody was telling any and everybody that Mercedes was dating Sam. He had pictures for proof from the day they were at the restaurant. He was also the person that brought Sam's bio-sis Kitty into the fold to talk about his adoption. The only person that knew about his adoption was Mercedes and now everyone knew about it. Sam felt as if his world was being shook to its core, and just as he thought it was over he turned around to find a crying Brittany. "Britt, let me expla..." he tried to say but Brittany slapped him cutting him off before turning and running off set. He ran after her and caught up with her as she packed her things from his dressing room. "Brittany, please let me explain."

"What are you going to explain?" Brittany asked as she looked over at him. Sam was shocked to see how much she was crying. He liked Brittany but he never thought that they were as serious as she was making it. "I knew something was going on. I'm so stupid."

"You're not stupid." Sam responded as he tried to walk over to her. She quickly stepped back causing him to pause as he tried to continue to explain it all. "Mercedes is my best friend and her ex is just spreading rumors about us."

"So he's lying about everything? Even the picture of you two staring into each other's eyes and holding hands?" Brittany asked as she continued to gather her things. As she packed, Sam finally realized the most of the things in the room was hers. He never realized that she took over his room as much as she did till that moment.

"I was being a friend to her. Seriously." Sam responded softly. Brittany sighed loudly and dropped her bag and looked his way for a brief moment before asking what he wished she didn't ask.

"Are you adopted?" she asked and for the first time since he told Mercedes, he was going to admit to another person. He shook his head slowly. She made her way to him and wrapped her arms around him. "You shouldn't be ashamed of that, Sam. You didn't need to hide it either." she responded as they continued to hug.

"I never told anyone." Sam lied. Sam felt as if she was already prepared to forgive him. He was shocked at how quickly she got over it. If he was being honest this was the first time she showed this much emotion about anything.

"We should talk about all of this." she added before placing a kiss on his lips. "Let me go get my make-up fixed first." she smiled then stepped out of the room. Sam had to admit that he really thought that would have went differently but honestly losing Brittany was not what he was on his mind at the moment. What he wanted to do was meet with Brody and punch him the way he'd wanted to punch him since they met. He was in deep thought of how to fix the situation he was in when his door opened with Mercedes in his doorway.

"Sam..." Mercedes said as they stared at each other. Within seconds they were hugging each other and tears were streaming from their eyes. Mercedes knew that this was not how he wanted the world to find out that he was adopted. She knew that the only reason this was happening was because of her feelings for him and Brody's jealousy. Sam knew that she hated that Brody did this and he was happy that he was able to hug her. "I don't know how he found out about the adoption...I never told anyone..."

"You told her?" Brittany asked causing the both of them to immediately part ways. When they both stood in silence, Brittany walked into the room and grabbed her bag then bent down to grab Lord Tubbington. "We're over." she said to Sam before walking out of the room.

* * *

**UMMMM yeah...that was a doozy lol Did yall really think Brody was done with Samcedes? Did yall think Kitty was just not going to tell anyone? How do you all feel about Holly? I was going to make it Emma but honestly I hated Emma a tiny bit...I like Holly though...lol**

**Also I kind of slick say how I feel in some of these conversations Mercedes have lol...and yes...I will post next weekend. I want them to freaking get together already lol**


	19. Chapter 19

Across town, Brody smiled as he watched TMZ discuss how amazing his plan to ruin things for Mercedes. After she left him, he decided to try to replace her completely with Rachel. This was an automatic disaster because Rachel was a control freak and last thing Brody wanted was a woman to control him. He wanted Mercedes back and he knew the only way he could get her back was if he ruined her career. He immediately looked into finding where she went after she left and assumed she would return to the show. When he found out that she ran home to daddy, he knew she wasn't happy. When he first met her, she threw herself at him every chance she got just to get away from her father.

"There's a chance for me still." he thought to himself as he devised a plan to get her back. He started making calls around to see if he can get her album out there finally. If he can show her that he could give her what she'd always wanted, there's no way that she wouldn't take him back. He felt he had her in the bag until one night he saw her back on the show and Finn had Mercedes and Sam flirting with each other on his screen. "Are you fucking kidding me?" he shouted as he slammed the remote in his hand on the ground.

He watched with rage in his eyes as Mercedes and Sam flirted on screen. He knew that this was not acting. He'd seen the both of them act and they were never convincing. He also knew that the writing on that shit show wasn't good enough to convey that much emotion from them. He knew he was right to worry about Mercedes having any kind of romantic interest or romantic scenes. It was only a matter of time before she developed feelings for whoever her co-star would be. Now, with him out of the picture she had all the rights to be with Sam.

"Over my dead body!" Brody said out loud to no one at all.

The following week, Brody looked into Sam and Mercedes. He tried to find out any and everything on both of them. He was happy to find out that Sam was in a relationship, so he knew he had to tell the poor simple girl that they were having an affair. He knew if she came back to be with Sam, she would feel extra lonely seeing him with his new girlfriend. Although it was late one night, he decided to call her and see if things could be worked out. Instead of talking to him, she hung up on him causing his rage to intensify. He wasn't sure how he was going to ruin things for the two of them till he ran into them eating at that restaurant.

"Ain't this about a bitch!" he exclaimed as he sat down at the table with his date. He smiled when Mercedes locked eyes with him. He could tell she was not happy to see him inside the restaurant, especially since he had new sexy young thing with him. He knew he had to go over there and show off his date. "Sweetie come with me...and just go along with whatever I say." he said as he took her by the hand and dragged her to the back section where Mercedes was seated with Sam. They were tucked away as if they were on a romantic date. As they approached them Brody caught her slipping her hand away and felt the rage surging through him again.

"Can we help you?" she asked. Brody couldn't help but smile at her. He missed her and her sassy ways. Something about the way she said things always made him smile. She looked good and not at all as bad as he was hoping she'd be without him. Then he remembered that she was there with Sam and the smile that was on his face faded away.

"Hey Mercedes, what a shocker to find you here on a date...with the one guy that you told me not to worry about." he looked over at his date and forced a smile as she smiled back at him. "Babe, this is my ex, the one I told you about." Brody lied. He'd never told the girl anything about Mercedes. Sure she did a lot of talking during their many dates but he never paid attention. He spent most of his time looking up Mercedes and trying find anything on her that he could use to get her back.

"We're not on a date." Mercedes responded. Brody didn't care to hear it because even he could see the chemistry between the two of them. Something was happening there and if he didn't do something to stop it then he would most definitely lose Mercedes to Sam. He decided to play into her insecurities and he could see from her reaction that it worked but Sam decided to get macho with him. Brody wished they were anywhere else so that he could punch Sam. He'd thought about punching Sam since the night he came home to find him on their couch and he was trying to hold himself away from doing it right then.

"Gentlemen, we cannot behave like this here." the restaurant manager came just in time to stop Brody from possibly embarrassing himself there.

"Me and my date will leave." Brody elected to say as he smiled at Sam. He said a few more things just to show he was better than the both of them before leaving with his date. As he waited for his car to be brought around, he noticed paparazzi was there snapping pictures. He wasn't too sure if Sam and Mercedes were famous enough for paparazzi to care but he went for it anyway. "Be right back, babe." Brody said to his date as he walked over to the paparazzi and pointed him in the direction where he can snap a clear picture of Mercedes and Sam. He knew this would be enough to make things complicated for their friendship and Sam's relationship but he needed more to ruin their careers.

Two days later, Brody was blessed with exactly what he needed to hurt Sam. He was waiting on a new potential client for brunch on a table outside a small cafe, when he over heard a conversation that he couldn't believe was falling in his lap. It was almost as if the world wanted him to ruin Sam and Mercedes collectively. He leaned back to get more into the conversation as he he was positive that he heard Sam's name being said numerous times.

"Can you believe I'm still grounded for inviting him to the house to meet her? She took away my chauffeur and black card. My freaking black card! My mom is such a bitch! How does she expect me to live without my black card." he heard the girl say. "Like seriously, tell me, if this were you and you found your mother put up Sam Evans from Gleek up for adoption...wouldn't you try to use the fame for a party and get to know your brother at the same time."

"Honestly Kitty, if it were me I would've tried to be his girlfriend." her friend responded.

"That's nasty, Sam's my brother." the girl responded with disgust. "And he has a girlfriend."

"Oh yeah...well maybe he can hook us up with Jake."

"He has a girlfriend too. He's with Marley." Kitty responded. "I'm starting to think that we might need to audition to be on one of these shows just to get a boyfriend."

"Maybe Sam can give us a hook up?"

"Have you not been listening? We can't get any hook ups. My mom says I can't contact Sam ever. You should have seen how he left. I doubt he'd ever want to see me again." she added as Brody turned back slightly to see which one of the girls was speaking so that he knew who to approach. He knew this was an opportunity that he had to take advantage of as he watched her excuse herself to go back into the cafe. Brody looked at his watch and noticed that his client was running late, so he got up and followed her into the cafe. "Thank you." Kitty responded as she received what she ordered. Brody walked up to her and smiled as she glared at him. "Uh...excuse you." she said as Brody reached for his business card to hand to her.

"Uh my name is Brody Wes..."

"I don't care." she replied cutting him off as she walked away from him. He normally would have said something about her rudeness but instead he pushed it aside because she had something he wanted.

"You will care...especially if you want to see your brother." he responded behind her. She was practically at the door when she paused and turned back to look at him. "Yeah, I overheard you out there with your friend."

"Eavesdrop much?" she asked as she walked towards him.

"You're going to thank your lucky stars that I did in a minute." he smiled as he explained that he knew Sam very well. Of course he lied and said that they were friends but she was ready and willing to give him the details. Especially when he promised her that he would arrange a meeting between her and Sam. "So, what's this thing about him being adopted?" Brody never knew that Kitty would spill so much information in such a short time.

"Apparently, when my mother was in high school she got pregnant by her high school boyfriend. She refuses to tell anyone who he is but that doesn't even matter because she didn't want him apparently. I guess he got lucky because he's all famous now. Its crazy because when I invited him over he was practically sleeping on friends living room floor." Kitty added. Brody was trying his hardest to hold in the smile that he wanted to spread on his face as he listened to all the details.

"You don't say."

"Look, I just want to have some kind of relationship with him. I know I used him for fame and he's like mad about it. If you can tell him that I am sorry and I want to...I guess start over, ya know?"

"I know exactly what you mean. And I will talk to Sam and see if he can work on starting things over with you all." Brody lied. He had no intention of reconciling Sam with his long lost mother. At the time, Brody thought it was only going to cause a blip on twitter but TMZ took the story and flipped it. He never knew that the internet would take the story the way they did. Now all he needed to do was wait for Mercedes to realize that Sam was not good enough for her future and find her way back to him.

* * *

Two weeks had gone by since all hell broke loose. Mercedes wanted to be there for Sam as he dealt with the drama in his life but Holly kept her really busy. She'd been at the recording studio and running around with Holly. She'd met with so many producers and song writers that they were all lumping into one. She was trying to stay focus but she couldn't keep her mind off of Sam. She was excited that she would finally see Sam because this would be her first time returning back on set.

"Brittany, we're going to miss you here on set." she heard Finn saying as Brittany walked out of his office."What do you have plans to do next?"

"I have a couple auditions lined up and I'm thinking of trying to get on Dancing with the Stars. I think I can dance circles on there." Brittany responded with a smile.

"I think you can as well. Don't be afraid to hit me up if you need help finding anything out there." Finn responded as they hugged briefly before he walked back on set.

Mercedes hadn't had a chance to speak to her as well and she wasn't sure what she'd say when she finally did. She tried to quickly turn in a different direction to avoid Brittany, but it was too late she already locked eyes with Brittany. They slowly walked towards each other and stood in silence for a brief second.

"Hey Brittany." Mercedes said as she broke the silence between them. She tried to read the expression on her face to gauge how to approach her apology but couldn't figure out if she was angry or not.

"Mercedes." she replied as she swung her bag over her shoulder then looked at her phone for the time then back at Mercedes.

"Uh...I don't want to keep you." Mercedes stated before taking a deep breath in. "I...uh...just wanna apologize about what happened the last time we...uh..."

"Yeah."

"I know that things have been kind of crazy on set and I wasn't around because of my schedule and yours just not matching."

"Yeah I heard you're finally working on your album." Brittany added with a slight nod.

"Yes, I thought I was busy before but now with this album and things looking like it is actually going to happen soon for me..."

"I'm...happy for you." Brittany responded before looking at her phone again. Mercedes was never one not to notice queues as she took one more deep breath in.

"Look, I'm sorry about the way things went down between you and Sam. I truly liked the two of you together and hate that my ex ruined what you two had." Mercedes said as Brittany just looked at her then smiled for the first time before chuckling for a second. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"No...well yes...kind of yes." she responded as she shook her head. "I don't believe anything you just said." she added then continued. "Well, I believe you're sorry that your ex was putting everything out but I don't think you liked seeing me with Sam."

"I did."

"No, you didn't Mercedes. You tolerated it." Brittany replied. "I know I play a dumb person on the show and I do it so well that people are treating me like I'm as dumb as she is."

"I don't think you're dumb." Mercedes quickly interjected as Brittany continued.

"But, I'm not dumb and I know you have had feelings for Sam for quite some time."

"We're just friends." Mercedes responded.

"Mercedes, I've seen the way you look at Sam when you think no one else is looking. For a while, I thought it was one sided and that you were just his best friend that just happened to be a girl, but that day...I saw the way he looked at you. Sure I was upset that he told you before he even told me but...the way he hugged you was nowhere near how he hugged me."

"Brittany..."

"It's fine." she forced a smile on her face. "I just filmed my last scene with Sam, so I am done with this show. You can be with Sam, now."

"Brittany, we really are just friends." Mercedes responded as she looked away briefly. Brittany chuckled and placed her hand on her shoulder then gave it a quick pat.

"You don't have to keep lying to yourself about this. No one is standing in your way anymore." Brittany said before pulling her in for a hug. "Call me if you need a back up dancer for any of your videos...just give me a month to get over all of this first."

"Bye Brittany." Mercedes said softly as she watched her walk off set. She had to say that this went in a way that she never thought it would. She knew if the shoe was on the other foot that she would never hand her man over to the next woman or be okay with another woman having feelings for him. Let alone be as chill as Brittany was with the whole situation. When she caught Brody with Rachel she quit a tour and sang a break up song in front of the audience that paid to see her sing. She couldn't see how she would be okay with handing the man she cared about on a platter to the next woman. But even with that she had to admit that Brittany was right about one thing. There was nothing standing in her way of being with Sam now.

She took a deep breath then slowly made her way towards his dressing room. As she made her way to his dressing room she tried to think of every scenario but each time she just saw them finally kissing. Each step towards his room, she felt and heard the vibration of her heels hitting the ground. Her heartbeat intensifying the closer she got to his dressing room. Once she made it to his door she mentally told herself that Brittany was right. She had feelings for Sam and Sam had feelings for her and they were both single now. "The timing is perfect." she said to herself as she knocked on the door. She could hear him talking to someone on the phone as he made his way to the door. She quickly thought of how amazing it would be to be with him and tell him about the baby pictures her father gave her. She wiped her hands nervously and smiled when Sam opened the door.

"Mercedes."

* * *

**uh yeah...howdy y'all...Don't be mad at the cliffhanger...I will make it up to y'all. Some thing big happens in the next chapter...some thing that some have been waiting for...I won't say what lol.**

**Review time:**

**Whoknows-It sucks that I cut my chapters where I cut them then you ended wondering things that will soon be answered. Either way, I am sure I didn't answer all of your questions but hopefully the following chapters will...I just want Samcedes to be together but the evil person named Mango keeps putting em thru hell.**

**Lamia- Yes ur an A-hole.**

**See yall Next Weekend (which means Saturday and Sunday y'all not Friday lol)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Its happening...it's happening...no it's not...yes it is...wait a minute maybe it is...ah hell let's just see...**

* * *

Sam spent most of his day on set and in his dressing room speaking with Will on his phone trying to do damage control. With the day being Brittany's last on set, he thought that he could get a chance to talk to her in private. Unfortunately, Brittany was not having it. Outside of what was written in the script, she hadn't said a word to him. So Sam decided to give her the space she wanted because he had a lot to deal with anyway. He finally received word that his was offered the role that he auditioned for and he wanted to be excited about it. Unfortunately, he was busy with all the drama in his life instead.

"Sam, I'm going to be honest with you about all of this. The internet is flipping on its head over all of this. I have been talking with Sue, your new publicist on how we can flip all of this and we've figured out what to do." Sam paced about his dressing room as he listened to Will. "Basically, it seems like there's a divide. Some people are saying nice things about you being adopted. Sue thinks we can work with that."

"I really don't want to work with that." Sam responded. Last thing he wanted to do was be some type of victim and dragging his family further into this mess that Brody created.

"Well, its a bit too late for that Sam. Sue has already spoken to your mother and she feels that working on building a bridge with her will bring in even more fans."

"Wait a minute? You called my mother in Ohio?"

"No, we're talking about your real mother." Sam heard Sue shout in Will's background.

"She is my real mother."

"Yes, you're right. Sorry for being insensitive, we are referring to your biological mother. She has agreed to meet with you but she is currently in New York. So we already booked you a hotel for the weekend. We set up a couple things you all can do PR wise that can help turn all of this around."

"Will, I tried meeting with her before and I really don't want to go through all of that again." Sam admitted as he remembered the way his half sister and her dad treated him.

"I remember what you told me happened between you and the sister. So, I explained to Quinn that the meeting will be with her only." Sam heard Sue explain. He took a deep breath as he tried to remember that this was what he always wanted anyway. He just hated that this was how it was all going down. Why did it take a scandal, an agent and his new publicist to make this finally happen the right way?

"Look, Sam, we really just need you to do a quick meet up with her and possibly some pictures then we can spin it in your favor. Honestly, the adoption is the least of your worries. People are more upset about you're affair with Mercedes."

"I am not having an affair with Mercedes. We are just friends."

"Okay, so it was a misunderstanding. Any chance we can get you back with Brittany?"

"I...I...I don't think that's possible." Sam responded. He wished he could tell them that he realized that he doesn't want to be with Brittany and that she barely wanted to speak to him to begin with. "She kind of hates me right now."

"So we really need to focus on the adoption story."

"And we need you to limit all your interactions with Mercedes unless it has something to do with the show. The more you're seen with her the more this thing is going to be dragged out."

"Wait what?"

"Your so called friendship with Mercedes is causing an uproar. If you're not having an affair, what's the big deal to limit your interactions with her?"

"Because she really is a friend...she's my best friend. I'm not letting people decide who I am friends with." Sam responded.

"If she's truly your best friend then you would do this for her." Sam heard Sue say before she took the phone from Will. "Have you seen what these fans are saying about her?"

"I try not to feed the trolls..."

"Let me read some just to humor you." Sue said as she began to read some of the things she found online. "Why would he leave our Queen Brittany for that girl? They don't even have chemistry. They don't even look right together. I bet that slut was the one throwing her big ass at him. There's some racist stuff here and there that even I don't feel comfortable reading. Oh and I stumbled on this thing called black twitter, and they are calling her a white man's whore and..."

"Enough! I get it! Just stop!" Sam shouted. He remembered how Mercedes explained about fans not liking their pairing. He never thought that it went that far for her. Last thing he wanted to do was increase that just so that he could have her around. Especially since he knew that his feelings for her have grown since they first kissed on set. He wasn't sure how he was going to put his feelings aside when they seemed to grow every time he saw her and spent time with her. He cared about Mercedes more than he'd ever cared for any girl he'd ever liked and he never wanted to hurt her. "Look, I get it. I will see what I can do to minimize all of that."

"Fantastic!" Sam heard Will say before he got the phone back from Sue. "Look Sam, we're here for you and want your career to soar. We won't guide you in the wrong way. Sue and I will send you an email with your itinerary for meeting your mom after you leave set today. Addressing this and limiting how much the fans see you with Mercedes off set will help us gain focus back on what matters. You starring in your first movie over the next break. We're really excite about you playing the new Arachnid man...aside from the name that they claim to still have in the works. We need you on board, Sam."

"Thanks Will. I'm on board. I just want to get all this behind me so that I can get back to what truly matters." Sam responded before taking a deep breath in.

"No problem, Sam. We're here for you." he heard Sue say before the sound of someone knocking on the door.

"Uh yeah, thanks Sue. I appreciate it and will talk to you all later. I think I'm being called on set." Sam replied before they both hung up. He made his way to the door knowing that he needed to prepare himself to see Mercedes again. After recording with Brittany, he wasn't sure what he would get with Mercedes. And with the conversation he just had with Will and Sue, he wasn't sure how to be around her now. "Mercedes."

"Hey Sam." Mercedes responded with a smile that said she was happy to see him and he immediately forgot everything Will and Sue just said. When she took a step forward to step inside of the dressing room, he quickly remembered because his mind told him to kiss her which was not a good idea. He slightly placed the door behind him as he stood with his hand on the door. She looked down at his hand then stepped back nervously. "Uh..."

"Hey wassup? What are you doing here?" he asked then quickly regretted it when he remembered that they have to be on set shortly.

"We have a couple scenes to record, remember?" she asked as she looked at him as if he'd lost his mind.

"True." he nodded. "Guess we need to go on set, huh?"

"Yeah, but I wanted to talk to you for a quick sec. We haven't really talked since...you know..."

"Oh yeah."

"Do you mind if we go inside to talk?" she asked as she stepped forward towards the dressing room again.

"Um..." Sam looked around the set and then back at Mercedes before stepping back and opening the door. "Yeah, sure, sorry please come in." he watched as she walked in and closed the door behind her. He took a breath in and reminded himself that he couldn't go there with her even if he truly wanted to. Right now was not a good time for neither of them. He needed to do whatever he could to ensure that he doesn't bring more backlash to her on the internet.

"Look, I just wanted to talk to you about some things that has been on mind lately." Mercedes stated before turning to face him. "Are you alright? You seem kind of off." she added as she leaned against the table that was in his dressing room.

"I...I am okay considering..."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." she replied with a quick nod. "I just spoke with Brittany and she seems in good spirit. She seems to be handling things better than I would."

"Wait, she spoke to you? She wouldn't even let me say a word to her other than what was on script." Sam admitted in shock. He understood that she was upset with him but if she allowed Mercedes to talk to her, why was he excluded?

"Look, if the shoe was on the other foot, I would not be the way she has been. She has handled all of this better than I thought she would. You already seen how I handle getting cheated on."

"I think you handled that quite well. You put yourself first for once." Sam replied. "And I didn't cheat on Brittany. You and I are just friends."

"Are we though, Sam?" Mercedes asked as she stepped closer to him. "I have been thinking about things and being honest with myself about how I feel about you."

"Okay." Sam responded as he tried to calmly step back.

"Back when I was with Brody, I think I knew that there was something there but I wanted to be faithful so I ignored those thoughts. So I left. I thought it would help, ya know?" she shrugged as she continued to step closer to Sam. "I don't know if it did, but when I saw you with Brittany it kind of made me have to deal with it head on. When I came back we fell back into how we were and it just seemed like we were blurring lines. We may not have done anything physical but I think you know we were more than friends."

"Yeah, we are best friends." Sam responded causing Mercedes to not take another step closer.

"Are you playing with me?" She asked. Sam could tell that his pretense was starting to confuse her a bit. He knew he needed to just be honest as she was being with him.

"Okay, look, you're right...but I don't want to hurt you."

"We would never do that to each other." she responded before stepping closer to him again.

"I thought I would never hurt Brittany, but I did." Sam replied as he took a deep breath in. "Look, I just got off the phone with my agent and publicist and they read to me all the things that were said about us being together. You mentioned that people gave you a hard time when our characters were flirting and now people think you made Brittany and I break up." Sam added before shaking his head. "They think that we can benefit from letting that story die down...and suggested that we take some time away from each other."

"Wow."

"Mercedes, I just think it's too soon for us to try to do this. I have a lot I'm dealing with right now and I know you do too. I don't want my drama to get in the way of that."

"Yeah, uh, I guess you're right." she replied as she took another step back then made her way to the door but stopped when Sam took her hand. "I will give you your space."

"Mercedes, I just think we should wait and focus on our careers for a bit. I don't want to lose you as my friend though."

"I don't want to lose you either, but I don't know if I can hold in my feelings for you...and keep it in the friend zone." She admitted. "I don't think I want to hold them back. I'm tired of holding them back. I know you have feelings for me that are deeper than just on some friendship shit, but I won't push you. I'll give you the space you need to get your priorities in order and figure out what matters most." she tiptoed a bit and placed a soft kiss on his cheek before stepping out of the dressing room. Sam was a bit shocked with how bold she was with her response and if he wasn't stunned he might have pulled her back in, but he just allowed her to leave. After calming himself down, he followed behind her.

* * *

Mercedes wasn't sure what was up with Sam, but she was tired of it all. If Brittany was okay with her being with Sam, why in the world would she care what a bunch of haters had to say on the internet. Then again, she hadn't even tried to read any of the comments online because she knew exactly what they would say. It's the same thing that they had been saying for years whenever a black woman got the interest of any attractive man that happened to not be black. If black women around the world listened to those comments would they ever find love? Most of them hated that she was with Brody for many reasons like the fact that he was older than her and that he was white. The minute the haters saw how handsome Brody was they completely ignored how horrible he was. They focused all their energy on Mercedes. If she didn't let that stop her from being with Brody, she was not letting it stop her from being with Sam.

"Alright everybody, I need Kendra and Josh ready!" Finn shouted as Mercedes made her way to the set. She couldn't help the way her heart skipped a beat as Sam slowly made his way on set. The next scene that they would record would be Sam telling her that they couldn't be together.

"How fitting." she thought to herself. She took a deep breath as Sam made his way to his locker and she waited for her moment to get curved on camera. Once Finn yelled action, she walked over to him with a box of chocolates and then tried to kiss him. Sam stepping back to stop her as Josh only made her remember how he kept stepping back in his dressing room. He said his lines but honestly all she could hear was what he said in the dressing room. As written on the script, she walked away from him and he began singing the next song.

"Cut! That was awesome. Now let's record the rest in the glee class room." he instructed as everyone began assembling in the classroom. Mercedes quickly went into character as Sam was prepared sing the love ballad to the class. She made her way to sit next to Marley and watched Sam position himself at the center of the glee club room. They all knew what song he was going to sing but this would be the first time they heard him sing it. "Action!"

"Look into my eyes, you will see. What you mean to me. Search your heart. Search your soul. And when you find me there, you'll search no more. Don't tell me, it's not worth tryin' for. You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for. You know it's true. Everything I do. I do it for you." As she listened to the lyrics of the song, she wished she could shake him into hearing what was being said. Based on the script, she was supposed to just feel angry that he was singing this love ballad after breaking things off with her. Unfortunately, Mercedes allowed herself to be moved by Sam's voice and the words. A tear found its way out of her eye and slid down her cheek before she could wipe it away. The moment he was done singing she quickly ran out of the glee class room.

"Cut! That was awesome. Mercedes that single tear was a good add." Finn exclaimed assuming that Mercedes was going to return back to her seat. Mercedes instead decided to run back to her dressing room to collect herself. She thought she'd be alone in her room but seconds later Sam appeared and closed the door behind him. She sighed and wiped away her tears then made her way to reopen the door for him. Last thing she needed was to be alone with him again.

"Sam...I...I don't wanna talk..." she stopped when he reached to grab her hand and pulled her closer.

"You were right." he added before cupping her face. Mercedes heart raced as she inched up to kiss him. They'd kissed on set plenty times as their characters but this would be the first time they would be kissing as themselves. He kissed her as if those moments never happened. The moment their lips first touched, it was soft and quick as their noses brushed against each other. He stroked her cheek and smiled as he stared into her eyes before diving back in once more to deepen the kiss. She felt a shiver run up her spine as Sam lowered his hands to her lower back and pulled her closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair. They hungrily kissed each other as if they were not needed back on set. Any minute, someone would be wondering where the hell they both ran off to.

"Mercedes, are you okay?" Marley asked as she knocked on the door. Sam and Mercedes continued to kiss as Mercedes responded to Marley in between kisses.

"Uh...yeah...be right...there."Mercedes responded before biting her bottom lip as Sam began placing kisses on her neck before kissing her again.

"Is Sam in there with you? Finn is freaking out because you two ran off set." Marley added.

"Uh...I don't know where Sam went but tell Finn I'll be right out." she lied. "Tell him to give me a minute."

"You're going to need more than a minute." Sam whispered before kissing the opposite side of her neck.

"Marley, tell him give me five minutes." Mercedes added.

"Okay, I'll tell him you needed a break...you two Sam." Marley responded with a giggle before running off. Mercedes was happy to finally kiss Sam but she wanted to make sure they both knew what it meant for the two of them.

"Sam..." she muttered as he reluctantly stopped kissing her and looked at her.

"Come with me to meet my bio mom in New York." Sam responded causing her to completely blank out.

"Uh...are you sure?"

"Yes."

"What about your agents?"

"I don't care about them. I care about you and I want you to be there with me when I meet her." Sam admitted. Mercedes felt her heart swell but knew she couldn't allow him to sacrifice his career just as it was beginning to soar.

"Can we make the meeting private?"

* * *

**Hey y'all thanks for returning and reading. So, twenty chapters in and they finally decide to be together. I was dying inside you guys. Never again do I want to write a fic where it has this little fluff lol. Also this isn't over yet...but the end is near. Hope you all stick around for this.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Trigger warning *some slight violence***

* * *

Sam sat nervously at the airport as he listened to both Will and Sue discuss the way Sam needed to handle meeting with his bio-mom with Mercedes. He knew they wouldn't like hearing that he wanted to meet Quinn with Mercedes. The minute he told them that he wanted to be with Mercedes, they both tried to convince him that it was a bad idea. He argued with Sue for a few minutes before his mind went back to Mercedes.

"Sam, I think we should hold off on that until after we deal with this adoption story."

"I don't want to hold off." Sam responded as he sent a text message to Mercedes asking her if she was on the way. He knew that she had to head back on set to record before meeting with him at the airport, but he thought she'd been done by then. She left to pack way before Sam left the set so he figured she would have already been done recording on set.

"Listen Sam, I get it." Sue stated as she made her way over to him. "I watched that episode where she sang "River Deep Mountain High"...I felt a bit weird watching that scene til I remembered you all are about thirty pretending to be teenagers."

"We're in our twenties." Sam responded without looking at her as he waited for Mercedes to reply.

"Some of you look at least forty..."

"Sue."

"Whatever. What I'm trying to say is that I get you're into her but right now the rumors are killing your reputation. It's been trending on twitter and the things being said are not good... As I told you before."

"I don't care about my reputation. I care about Mercedes. And I want her to be there with me." Sam responded. At that point, Sam didn't care what Sue said. There was nothing that would make him break things off with Mercedes. So, he decided to tune them out as he sent another text message to Mercedes asking if everything was alright.

"Sam, I don't think you should ignore Sue. She knows what she's talking about..."

"Listen to Curly Sue, he has seen all of my awards." Sue stated cutting Will off before pulling out her phone. "Do I need to read more of what they have been saying for you to understand why this needs to be held off?"

"Sue, don't read that stuff. Some of the things being said is completely shameful."

"No, he needs to hear it. If he cares about Mercedes, he'd leave her alone." Sue added.

"Look, it seems like he's adamant on seeing her. So, how can you put a spin on this?" Sam could hear them going back and forth but his mind was on Mercedes. He wondered if Mercedes saw what Sue was talking about and if it scared her into not coming to join him at the airport. He debated logging onto twitter but wasn't sure if he was sure he was mentally prepared to see what Sue was saying. He knew if he'd want to defend her the minute he saw anything disrespectful towards her. He remembered Sue reading some of the tweets and he still couldn't believe the things people were saying, but he looked anyway.

_"No offense, but let's be real. When have you ever seen a guy like Sam with a chick like Mercedes."_

_"I just don't see the chemistry. I wish the show only made them friends."_

_"I'm not racist or anything, but I just don't see why Sam would leave a pretty girl like Brittany for a girl like Mercedes. Don't even get me started on that ghetto car name."_

_"There's no way he really likes her. This has to be a publicity stunt."_

"She was named after a singer...not a car!" Sam stated between gritted teeth before getting up from his seat. He was done reading the tweets as they were just verging from rude to completely racist. He needed to call her.

"What did you say, Sam?" Will asked as Sam walked off. "Did you hear what he said?"

"I barely ever did. I think it's because it's hard for him to flap his big lips." Sam heard Sue say as he called Mercedes. He needed to hear her voice. He needed to know where she was. He needed to tell her to not read what was being said or if she had already read them that they could discuss it.

"It's your girl Mercedes. You know what to do. Beep."

"Uh...hey Mercedes, it's me Sam. I'm at the airport. My flight takes off in an hour. I was really hoping for you to be here by now. Please call me back. I'm getting worried." he paused before looking at his watch and noticing he had less than an hour before take off. "Please call me back." he added before hanging and staring at the phone as if it would ring. "What the fuck is going on?" Sam asked out loud before walking back to where Will and Sue were.

"She's not coming is she?" Will asked as Sam sat down and called her phone again without answering him.

"Maybe she saw all the crap people are saying about her. I'd say it's for the best." Sue responded as Sam glared at her.

"She's not answering her phone." Sam hung up the phone and looked over at Will before standing back up and grabbing his bags. "I need to go back on set."

"Whoa...Sam, we have an itinerary and your mother is set to meet with you when you land in..."

"She's not my mother."

"You can't just leave her, Sam."

"Sure I can. I learned how to do it from her." Sam replied as he tried to call Mercedes again and walked away from them. He wasn't sure what was going on but something told him that he needed to head back to set where he last saw her.

* * *

Mercedes couldn't stop singing as she packed a couple things to head off to the airport to meet with Sam. She was nervous about taking this step with Sam but she was also excited about it as well. She knew many had opinions about the whole thing and Holly recommended that she stayed off of social medias because the rumors caused a frenzy. She knew shit would hit the fan when they finally find out that there was some truth to the rumors. She knew that many people will continue to have and share their opinions on her being with him. With all of her anxiety of what would happen with the news of them being together, she was still excited about it all. She couldn't stop smiling as their last moments together continued to replay in her mind as she packed for the trip.

"Can we make the meeting private?" Mercedes asked and smiled when he slightly smiled back at her. "Don't get me wrong. I want to write across your forehead _MINE. _I think it's imperative that all these girls out here know you're taken."

"I want them to know, too." Sam replied with a broader smile.

"I just feel that with our careers about to soar, I want this part of our lives to be for us and only us for as long as we can. You already have a lot to deal with this whole adoption leak that Brody has unleashed on you. And again, I'm sorry about all of that."

"You don't need to apologize for him...and if we're being honest, I should've known something like this would have happened sooner or later."

"Yeah, but it only happened sooner because Brody feels that something was going on between us and needed to get back at you for it."

"Something was going on between us." Sam responded as he pulled her closer and kissed her on the lips. "The more I got to know you, the more I felt as if we were meant to be together. We seemed to click right off the bat. I feel like together we can take on anything. Do you remember our birthday week when you gave me advice to come out here? You've been a part of my life since then and I didn't even notice it till now." he added and reminded her that she needed to tell him that they've been connected since birth. Unfortunately, they were interrupted.

"Actually Sam...I..."

"Mercedes, Finn needs you both back on set!" Marley said from behind the door. She sighed and looked at Sam as he smirked at her. "If you see Sam, can you tell him that Finn is requesting you both back like now. He's kind of upset." Marley added before trailing off.

"Ugh...I guess we can talk more when we're on the plane. I just need to go back to my apartment and pack then head to the airport after returning back here. I still have a scene with Marley later." Mercedes stated then prepared to walk out the door, but stopped when Sam pulled her back.

"Can I get one more kiss?" he asked. Mercedes felt her cheeks heat up as she wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him to kiss her once again. "I'll see you at the airport and we can board together, okay?" he asked as he placed his forehead against hers. She nodded softly and with her eyes still closed, she placed a kiss on the tip of his nose then allowed him to slip out of the room.

She just kept replaying him saying that they were meant to be together over and over as she packed. It took her longer than she thought to pick out what to bring to meet with his bio-mom. First impression was important and she needed to look great for this meeting. She knew this wouldn't be as important as meeting his actual mother but to Mercedes they all mattered.

"Alright, Mercedes, get it together girlfriend." she said out-loud to herself just as her cellphone began to ring. She skipped over to it, in hopes that it was Sam calling to see where she was. The smile that was on her face slowly went away when she answered the phone to hear Brody's voice instead.

"Hey babe."

"Why are you calling me? And I'm not your babe."

"Yeah, I know I have to work at getting you back as my babe and that's what I've been doing. Working really hard to get you back, babe."

"I am not your babe and I know what you've been doing." Mercedes responded as she closed her suitcase and checked out her hair before holding the outfit she chose to head to the airport in against herself.

"Of course you know what I've been doing. Working hard to release your music finally like we've always planned." Brody responded causing Mercedes to stare at her phone in disbelief.

"Have you lost your ever loving mind? You are no longer my manager. My music will be released and it won't be that crap that you've had me record years ago. I have a new manager now and we are releasing my real music soon."

"Yeah yeah yeah, I heard all about your new manager and I can see how me and her can work together at releasing your music when we get back together."

"Brody, listen to me. I'm only going to say this once and only once. So get this through your head. I will never work with you again and I will never get back with you. I know you thought you did something by leaking rumors of me and Sam, but you practically just helped us realize that we belong together."

"We belong together, Mercedes!"

"No, Brody we don't. You belong in hell!" she responded before hanging up the phone, taking a deep breath and making her way to her bedroom to get dressed. "How many numbers of his do I need to block?" she asked herself out loud as she blocked his number. "You will not ruin my day, Brody." she added once she was fully dressed and heading for the door, her cellphone rang once again. She looked at the screen and noticed that it was Finn instead.

"Hey Finn, I know I'm needed back on set. I'm heading back there now. I just needed to pack for the weekend." Mercedes quickly said before allowing him to speak.

"Oh...I didn't know you left. Uh yes, we do need you here for the scene with Marley but I was actually calling to speak to you regarding what's going on with Sam. I know all the rumors swirling can make it hard for you two to do the scenes that we have plans for the both of you. I also know you were very hesitant because of the backlash you were getting from the viewers."

"Uh...yeah."

"I just want you to know that I do see it and have your back. If you want us to tone things down we can put more attention on Marley and Jake's relationship. I just want you to understand how big of a star you are about to become. I saw this in you back when we first met and I'm happy to see you blossoming on the show. We appreciate what you're doing on the show."

"Look Finn, I wanted the challenge and I appreciate you all having my back with the backlash. I am pretty sure that I will need it and I do not want you to change the direction of the story-lines. I think the fans will come around...sooner than later." she replied as she made her way out the door.

"Great, so we'll see you on set shortly." Finn stated before hanging up. Mercedes was a bit happy to hear Finn say that he appreciated her and had her back with the backlash. The day just kept getting better and she could not see anything making the day go bad for her.

* * *

Brody slammed his fist against his steering wheel several times as he tried to dial her number and noticed that she blocked his number once again. He couldn't understand why Mercedes didn't understand that she belonged to him but he was never giving her up. She was going to be with him or no one else at all. He watched as she placed her luggage in her car and back out of her driveway. He wondered if she was heading to Lima. Either way, he knew wherever she was going he was going there as well. He quickly followed behind her. As he followed her, his anger seemed to snowball.

"Who the hell does she think she is? I made her!" he shouted behind her. "I made you! You would be nothing without me! You are nothing without me!" The more he shouted, the more his anger continued to snowball. "I put all my energy in her...and what does she do? What does she do?" he paused as if someone was in the car with him before continuing to vent. "I knew she shouldn't have gone on that show." he stated as he watched her drive towards the set. "Good. Drive back to set." he continued to follow her with no plans on what he wanted to do. He had exhausted everything that she could do to get her back with him and now all he wanted was for Sam to no longer be the problem that he has became.

To avoid Mercedes noticing that he was following her, he decided to drive ahead of her and park near where she normally parked. He watched as she got out of her car with a smile on her face as if she was living the life. This just angered him even more. He was hoping that she would be in a bad mood. He was hoping she'd be sad. If she was feeling insecure, then he could use that to get her to forgive him but she wasn't.

"What the hell is she so happy about?" he asked as he got out of his car and followed her in. He knew that he was known on set, so he had to be as invisible as possible so he made sure to cover up as much as possible. He stood right behind her as he listened to her speak to Marley without her even noticing that he was near.

"Okay, dish. You have a smile on your face as if you're walking on sunshine." Marley said with a smile. "It's Sam, isn't it? Were you guys...you know...doing it back when you were in your dressing room?"

"MARLEYYYY!"

"What? I just want to know because I've always thought you two were cute together. I totally ship it." Marley replied. "And we can finally double date. We couldn't do it when you were dating that jerk."

"Marley."

"What? He was creepy. I still don't know how you ended up with a guy like that." Marley continued. Brody tried his best not to jump into the conversation and explain that Mercedes pursued him. That he told her to date someone her own age. That he told her that he couldn't and shouldn't have dated her. He wished everyone would remember that she was the creep and not him. All he did was make her life better than it was when he first met her.

"Can we not talk about Brody? I just want to move on with my life...and yes maybe something is happening with Sam but right now we're just friends. Plus, I need to charge my phone. I probably missed a couple calls or text messages." he heard Mercedes respond as they both walked towards her dressing room. He watched as they said a couple more things to each other before parting ways. Brody watched as Mercedes entered her dressing room and decided to make his way towards the room. He looked around before turning the knob and making his way in. "Marley, I really don't want to talk about what's going on with me and Sam right now." Mercedes said without looking towards the door.

"What's going on with you and Sam?" Brody asked causing Mercedes to turn and look towards the door in shock.

"What the hell are you doing here, Brody?" she asked as she slowly made her way towards her cellphone as it began to vibrate. Brody noticed where she was moving and decided to make his way over to it first since it was closer to him.

"Uh uh...no need for that, Mercedes. It needs to charge, right? I just want to talk to you." he replied as he took the phone and placed it in his pocket. "Just hear me out and I'll give you the phone back."

"I don't want to talk to you. We have nothing to talk about."

"Eh, I beg to differ." Brody replied as he slowly made his way to her. "Last time I saw you with Sam, you claimed that nothing was going on between you two. Yet, something is telling me that you've been lying."

"Brody, seriously, just drop it. Leave me alone. Leave Sam alone. Just go back to Rachel. That's what you wanted, right? Rachel? Go back to her."

"I don't want her. You and I both know that you are who I want. I don't plan on leaving you."

"I'll scream. I swear I'll scream." Mercedes threatened as he continued to walk over to her. Once he was close to her face, he placed his hand his hand on her face and stroked her cheek. He missed touching her. He missed kissing her. He honestly didn't realize how much he missed her till that moment there.

"Do you remember when we first came to Hollywood together?" he asked, ignoring the look of pure fear in her eyes as he continued to stroke her face. "Going to all those parties together to network and push you into the industry? We were amazing together."

"Then you ruined it. No one to blame but you on that one, sweety." Mercedes replied as she tried to move away from him again. Brody quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards him. "Let me go, Brody!"

"I can't let you go. You know I can't let you go." Brody said as he leaned closer to kiss her. Mercedes moved her face away from him but Brody was adamant on kissing her as he gripped her face and pressed his lips against hers. He was so happy that it was happening that he didn't see her knee coming as she tried to knee him in the groin but instead kneed the side of his thigh. "AH YOU BITCH!" he doubled over for a bit then rushed behind her as she tried to make it out the door.

"HELP!" She screamed as he made it in time to slam the door close then locked it. He pulled her towards him as she tried again to once again rush for the door. He had no plan on ever hurting her but before he knew what was happening they were pushing each other against the walls of the dressing room and then rolling on the ground. He tried to pull her back towards him as she tried to crawl towards the door. She looked back and kicked him in the face just as someone came to her door and tried to open it.

"AH MY FUCKING NOSE!" Brody screamed and lunged towards her.

"Mercedes? What's going on in there?" she heard Finn asked as he continued to jiggle the doorknob.

"FINN HEL...!" she tried to scream but Brody quickly placed his hand over her mouth.

"Shut the hell up...I'm not trying to hurt you." he responded to her as blood dripped from his nostrils. Tears fell from her eyes as she prayed that Finn would open the door and save her. "Tell him you're okay." he demanded but before Mercedes could lie and say that she would Finn broke the door and made his way into her dressing room.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER!" He made his way over to Brody and pulled him away from Mercedes then tossed him to the ground. Brody fell to the ground but immediately jumped back up. He'd been waiting for the day that he could give Finn what he deserved. He lunged at Finn's midsection causing the two of them to fall to the ground. Mercedes tried to pull Brody off of Finn but instead was knocked off as Brody pushed her away.

"Mercedes..." he did not expect to hit her and immediately ran towards her to make sure that he didn't hurt her.

"Don't touch me!" she shouted just as she watched Sam run into the room and tackle Brody to the ground. "Sam!" Mercedes shouted as she tried to stand up. Brody and Sam continued to tussle around the room as security finally made it to them and tried to separate the two. Brody was not willing to let this slide. He refused to get beat up by some kid. When the security held him away, he landed a couple punches in that caused Sam to lunge back at him and return the punches. Security was finally able to hold the both of them apart and dragged Brody out of the dressing room.

"I want him arrested! And I do want to press charges!" Finn shouted behind them as he wiped the corners of his mouth. Last thing Brody was able to see was Sam and Mercedes hugging. From the way that she looked at him, he knew that she was really done with him now. There was no way she'd want to be him now.

* * *

**OH heyyyyy yall...how yall doing? My bad about last week... I will make it up to yall next week. It will be the last chapter and it will be a long chapter...I mean really long. Hope yall stick around.**

**Oh they will discuss the baby pic finally of course since it will be the end. Thanks for sticking around yall. Don't we love Brody lol  
**


	22. Chapter 22

**_And so it ends..._**

* * *

_"Have you ever wondered about the saying "Everything happens for a reason"? Wondered if there was anything true about the fact that every single choice we make is fated for the same end result? It would be quite crazy if you've heard of that and not heard someone utter the words "I was made to love you"." Sam asked as he smiled as if his entire life was flashing before his eyes. "If you don't believe in any of that or in divine intervention, then what I am telling you might seem as if it is truly impossible. How can two complete strangers pass by each other at so many different times in their lives without meeting until that right moment?" Sam smiled as everyone waited on his next words with bated breath. "I was a skeptic also, until that day when Mercedes and I went to meet my biological mother."_

Mercedes and Sam arrived at the restaurant before Quinn made it in. Mainly due to Sam's nervousness. He spent the flight and drive to the hotel writing down questions that he wanted answered. Then the entire day, Sam nervously paced about the hotel room practicing the questions and constantly asking Mercedes if this was at all a good idea. To Mercedes, it was a no-brainer but she understood his nervousness and she constantly reminded him that it was a great idea. She would play with her bracelet then look over at him with a reassuring smile then reply: "Everything happens for a reason, Sam."

When they finally made it to the restaurant, Sam continued to ask if maybe it was a bad idea, if it was too soon. Instead of repeating her mantra, she would reach over and place her hand on his then give it a tight squeeze. He would look over at her then take a deep breath before smiling and placing a kiss on the back of her hand. When Quinn finally arrived, Sam and Mercedes both watched as she walked in. Her blonde hair, was cut short to the length of her ears that showcased diamond earrings. She was slim but still wore a belt around the dress she wore that hugged her body. Time slowed down as she walked in with an imaginary light shining on her, chin tilted upwards, an aura that said she was rich and she knew it.

"That's her." Sam said softly. Mercedes wasn't sure if he was saying it to tell her or to tell himself that he was finally seeing her with his own eyes. Mercedes could see Sam in her as she made her way over to the table then smiled at the both of them. Sam slowly stood up and extended his hand towards her.

"Sam...look at you..." she muttered with a shaky voice as if she was holding back tears. She reached for his hand and held it with both of her hands as she nodded before widening her smile.

"Mrs. McIntosh, thank you for agreeing to meet with us."

"The pleasure is all mine...and I kept my maiden name so I go by Fabray or Quinn." she smiled as she looked over from Sam to Mercedes.

"Oh uh...yeah, Ms. Fabray...this is my girlfriend..."

"Mercedes Jones." Quinn said cutting Sam off then extending her hand over to Mercedes. "I saw you perform at the last concert that you performed where you sang your heart out before walking off the stage. It was powerful." Quinn added before looking over at Sam as they both sat down. "There wasn't a dry eye in the stadium. Please tell me you plan on returning to the stage some day?"

"Uh...yes...I do, Ms. Fabray. I'm working on it." Mercedes responded before looking over at Sam. He reached under the table to hold her hand just as the waitress came over and took their order.

"So, I think it would be wise if I begin this whole thing by apologizing for what your sister, I mean, what Kitty did. She told me what my husband...soon to be ex-husband said to you. It was not his place to even utter anything to you. If I had known about you being there, I would have made sure things went a lot smoother."

"I shouldn't have went there anyway." Sam admitted. "Kitty's offer came at a time that made me a bit desperate." Mercedes knew that it had to have been when she left with Brody. If she hadn't left he wouldn't have agreed to meet with Kitty. She hated that every time she did something, Sam was the one that had to deal with the consequences.

"Whatever the reason, I should have been the one to reach out to you and make this happen when your mother first got in touch with me." Quinn responded before taking a sip of her wine. "I was a bit of a coward. Wishing that possibly the letter was good enough and that you wouldn't have a bunch of questions."

"I have a lot of questions." Sam admitted before looking over at Mercedes who sat quietly and watched the two of them.

"I Know...and I am...uh...ready for the questions." Quinn replied as Sam took a deep breath and reached into his pocket for his list of questions. "Oh, you wrote them down." she added nervously.

"I didn't want to forget anything important." he replied as he unfolded the piece of paper. "It's not a lot of questions. Some of these are just random questions that have crossed my mind since I found out I was adopted."

"Okay...uh...I will try my best to answer it as honestly as possible." Quinn replied before wiping the side of her lips. Mercedes reached over again and placed her hand over Sam's. He reassured her with a nod and smiled as she removed her hand from his.

"Like I said some of these are random, so I'll just uh...start with this one here." Sam said as he read off the first question. "Do you have any siblings?" Sam asked then looked up to explain. "I mean, I just learned I got a sister. I am trying to see if I also have cousins that I don't know of."

"I get it." Quinn replied with a smile. "I...uh...am an only child as far as I know. When I was a senior, my mother decided to divorce my father so I don't know if he wasn't out there spreading the love, so to speak."

"Okay, uh, speaking of fathers, who was my father?"

"I...uh..."

"Were you two in love? Do you know where he is so that I can meet him as well?"

"Uh...love...I wouldn't say we were in love. At the time I thought I might have loved him. Then again at that age I thought I loved everyone."

"Was he there when I was born?"

"Sam, give her a second to finish her answer." Mercedes stated as she could see that Quinn did not anticipate Sam asking about his father. If she was being honest, throughout the whole ordeal, Sam never mentioned wondering who he was but she could of course understand why he did. Mercedes could tell the line of questions was already getting to Quinn. She immediately looked uneasy. "Are you okay, Ms. Fabray?" she asked.

"It's fine, Mercedes." she replied with a smile then took a deep breath before responding. "I haven't thought of him in years." she replied with a smile as if she could see him in front of her. "I met him over the summer when he spent the summer with his father."

"What was his name?" Sam asked snapping Quinn back to the table.

"His name was Joseph but I called him teen Jesus as a joke because he wore these Birkenstock sandals and he had these long locs and piercing green eyes..." she paused and looked at Sam. "Just like yours...well yours are a tad lighter if I am honest. Now that I have a closer look at you, I can see a bit of him and myself when I look at you."

"Where is he?" Sam asked as if he didn't care for the responses he was getting. It was obvious that he wanted more. It was obvious that Sam was interested in having the same chat with this Joseph guy as soon as he got a chance. Quinn looked down at her fingertips then licked her lips before looking away from the table.

"When I found out I was pregnant, I went over to his dad's to get his number to know where he actually lived." Quinn responded with a forced smile. "You know, back then everyone didn't have a cellphone but we had this thing called a landline. It made getting on the internet quite interesting." she smiled down at her fingertips again then looked at Sam and Mercedes. "When I made it to his mother's, I thought he'd be happy to see me but he seemed a bit annoyed that I took the trip there. We argued and then I blurted about being pregnant. He left angry and..." Quinn paused for a second to gather herself before continuing. "I waited for him to come back and when he didn't, I left. I found out later, he'd gotten into an accident and didn't make it." Mercedes looked over at Sam, it was killing her to hear how he just kept getting bad news after the next. How many times, can he be told that someone didn't want him?

"Is that why you gave me up?" Sam asked catching Quinn off guard once again.

"Uh...it played a part in it. Yes. I was only 17 as I told you in the letter. When Joe passed away, I knew there was no way I'd be able to care for you the way that you deserved." she replied. "If I kept you, we would have suffered. My mother would have kicked me out and I would have had nowhere to go." she admitted. "I gave you up to make sure that you didn't suffer."

"Bullshit!"

"Sam!" Mercedes exclaimed in shock.

"No, Mercedes, I have to say this." Sam replied before looking at Quinn in pure anger. "You didn't give me up so that I didn't suffer. You did it so that you wouldn't suffer. I didn't fit into that plan of yours to become this rich successful lawyer that you are now. If you kept me, then you would have to alter all those plans with me in mind."

"Sam." Mercedes said softly as she tried to calm him down.

"I thought it was best for the both of us." Quinn replied as she looked between the two of them.

"Well it wasn't. You didn't want me to suffer? Did you even try to find out if I was okay? To see if I suffered or not?" Sam asked. "Well, guess what, I suffered. I struggled. My mom and dad, the ones that raised me, struggled to raise me. Every year my dad moved us back and forth. He could barely keep a job. Then my dad died and I had to work to provide for the family. I stripped to take care of us." Sam admitted then smiled at the shocked look on Quinn's face. "Yes, I stripped. As a minor, I stripped. While you were living this lavish lifestyle, I suffered. While you were spoiling your daughter, I struggled. So, don't tell me that you thought adoption was best for me." he stated between gritted teeth. The tension at the table was so thick that the waitress came over to ask if everything was okay.

"We're fine. Thank you." Mercedes responded as Sam and Quinn ignored her presence. She gave Mercedes a quick smile then looked at Sam and Quinn before stepping away. "Sam." Mercedes said as she placed her hand over his again. He looked over at her and gave her hand a squeeze to assure her that he was okay.

"You are right. My decision was selfish." Quinn admitted. "Since I was in middle school, I had my entire life mapped out. I was going to go to high school, be head cheerleader, most popular, prom queen, graduate as valedictorian and head off to Yale. I knew then that I was going to be the lawyer you see today but I never saw you coming." she added with a soft smile. "I had a plan but God had His own. When I went into labor, my mind went into panic mode because up until that point I had led myself to believe that if I ignored my belly that it wasn't happening. Then my water broke and life told me to get a grip." she told them the story of what happened as she went into labor. "I was in the room with another woman that went into labor...she was my teacher. Can you believe that?" Quinn asked. "Just as I was trying to hide that I was pregnant, life decided to throw a wrench in plans and have my teacher in the room." she shook her head before continuing. "She told me how happy she was because she was going to be a mother. Told me that everything happened for a reason...and then she passed away." Mercedes felt her heart pounding as if she knew this story was about her mother. Something told her that Quinn was talking about her mother especially when she said that everything happens for a reason.

"Wait a minute." Mercedes said as a tear slid from her eye. She reached into her purse and pulled out the picture of her and Sam then handed it to Quinn. "Was her name Cassandra Jones?"

"That's your mom's name, right?" Sam asked as Quinn looked at the picture in silence. She looked up at Mercedes and smiled.

"Yes. Yes. Oh my..." she covered her lips and looked at Mercedes then back at the picture. "Everything happens for a reason."

"Wait...you're telling me that our mom's met when we were born?" Sam asked as Quinn handed him the picture. He stared at the picture and remembered that this was the picture that lead him to finding out that he was adopted. "How'd you get this picture? This is the picture that lead me to know I was adopted." he muttered then added softly: "This is...us?" Sam stared at the picture then looked over at Mercedes. "You knew about this?"

"Not about my mom...no...but I learned about this picture when I went to my dad's over the break." Mercedes admitted. "Things were a bit hectic when I returned so I didn't know how to bring it up or when."

"Mercedes." Sam said as he looked at the picture once again then back at her.

* * *

**-45 years later-**

Sam stroked the top of her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. The same type of squeeze that she used to do to help him calm down, he was using to calm himself down. He remembered when they returned back to the hotel that they spoke for hours. After she told him the tales her father told them on how the picture helped calm her when she cried, he knew they belonged together. He knew then that he couldn't live without her.

"So, Grandma was there the day you got your shots for school?" Sage asked as he looked between his grandparents.

"Yes, apparently my screams scared her away." Sam replied with a chuckle. "I think we locked eyes for a brief second before she left the clinic with her nanny."

"When did you guys meet next?" Melody asked as she looked up from her phone.

"I think the next time we met was camp. We're not too sure if it was then but from my memory and what she remembered, we met then too. Every time something important was happening in our lives, we seem to meet at some imaginary fork in the road." Sam replied. "Life. It's funny isn't it." he added with a chuckle.

"That's awesome, Grandpa." Melody responded without looking away from her phone. "By the way, Nana's been trending all week. All of her music are being streamed online."

"Melody, nobody cares about all of that!" Sage shouted as he tried to grab her phone from her.

"Nana does! She loves music. Music was her life!" she replied as she pulled her phone away from his grasp.

"Music is her life!"

"You swear that you know everything." Melody snapped back.

"Enough!" Destiny said as she'd had enough of listening to her kids screaming about it back and forth. " What is wrong with you two? Last thing my mother needs to hear is the two of you arguing over what she loves."

Sam could hear them arguing but he was in another world at that moment. Although his granddaughter was right that music was what Mercedes loved, it was not her life. He knew family was her life and Sam knew that she was his life. He knew he couldn't live without her because he knew the happiest moments of his life had been with her. As he held her hand, and continued to replay every moment of their life. He remembered the night that Mercedes shocked him with a question he never imagined her asking him.

Sam remembered that they were in bed talking about their journey to where they were at that time. The conversation was lighthearted at first with a couple laughs here and there before one thing led to another. As Sam tried to recall the event, he couldn't remember every detail but he could still feel their connection from that night. She was lying on her side as he spooned her from behind and placed kisses on her shoulder while she spoke.

"Do you believe in destiny?" Mercedes asked as Sam continued to place soft kisses on her shoulder. He paused as if he had to think about it for a second but after hearing how they'd met, he'd be dumb to say he didn't believe it.

"I guess I do...look where we are, how we met. It had to be a destiny thing, right?"

"We belong together." she sang before giggling and turning to face him.

"We do."

"Do you think we should get married?" Mercedes asked catching Sam off guard. He'd thought about it several times. Unfortunately, their success had them all over the place that he never really figured out when they would do it. And if he was honest with himself, he never thought he was good enough for Mercedes.

"You'd marry me?" he asked with an unsure smile tugging the corner of his lips. She reached over to stroke the side of his face before placing a kiss on his lips quickly before reaching over to grab something out of the nightstand.

"Sam Evans..." she smiled as she held a small velvet box and looked into his eyes.

"Whoa, Mercedes...are you serious?"

"Let me ask it, Sam." she giggled as Sam looked at the box as if he didn't know what was inside. He remembered wishing that he had proposed to her instead but knew it didn't matter who asked the other. He knew that one day they would married. "So, we getting married or nah?" she asked as Sam snapped back.

"Are you sure you want to spend the rest of your life with me?"

"You're my destiny, Sam."

Sam remembered that they wasted no time and got married a month later only to find out that she was pregnant a week later. He almost lost her then too. He look down at her hand and shook his head as he remembered the selfish thought he had when she went into labor. The minute he heard emergency c-section, he remembered arguing with the doctors just as he was arguing with them when she was admitted this time around after having a stroke.

"Sir, I get you're upset but your wife needs to have an emergency c-section or you might lose the baby." the doctor responded.

"I don't care! I can't lose Mercedes!"

"Sir, if we don't do the c-section, you might lose them both." the doctor responded.

"Look, I have done my research and it looks like doctors are immediately jumping straight to emergency c-section the minute you see a black woman. I need to know that the reason you're suggesting this is because she actually needs it." Sam responded.

Looking back, Sam hated that he yelled that he didn't care about losing Destiny at that time. After she was born and they placed her in his arms, Sam couldn't stop holding her. She was the best of both of them and Mercedes was mad at him when she heard that he told the doctor to save her over the child.

"Sam, you got to be out yo rabbit ass mind." she whispered at him as she breastfed Destiny. "You were acting a fool while they were trying to keep me and her alive."

"And I would do it again." Sam replied with a shrug. "I want these doctors to know you have people that care about you. That will burn shit up if anything happens to you." he added and smiled when she shook her head at him.

"Sam Evans, you are crazy."

"Crazy about you." he added before placing a kiss on her forehead then adding another to Destiny's forehead. "And now...I'm crazy about her too. I just refuse to live life without you. You know this." She sighed then looked at Sam.

"Sam, you know my dad loved my mom like that too, right?" she asked and watched as Sam looked back at her in confusion. "He didn't want anything to do with me when I was born because my birth took her from him."

"Mercedes..."

"If we go down this road again and I go into labor, I need you to promise me that you will tell the doctor to save the baby. Not me."

"Babe, don't make me promise that."

"Promise me, Sam!" Mercedes shouted causing the baby to cry for a few seconds. "Shhhh...it's okay. Mommy's here." she whispered softly til the baby was back to focusing on her nipples.

"I...promise." Sam finally said. Luckily for Sam, they never had any other children. He did whatever he could to avoid ever getting her pregnant again. Mercedes did as well, but she only confessed it to Sam when Destiny made them grandparents.

"I know you can't make it without me...and I do not want to live in a world without you either." she admitted to Sam.

Now, here he was in the hospital holding her hand and listening to the sound of the only things letting him know she was still there with them. Every time he listened to the sound of the EKG machine beeping, he felt hope of her returning to him. Every time the doctor came into the room, he prayed they would say that she was doing better but unfortunately it wasn't the case.

"Dad, you need to sleep." Destiny said when she finally got everyone to be quiet. "You can go home and sleep while I stay with mom." Sam knew she meant well but she had no idea that Sam would never step out of the hospital if Mercedes wasn't leaving with him.

"I'm fine, sweety. You all go home and I'll call you guys when she wakes up." Sam said for what he felt had to have been the 13th time he'd told them.

"Okay, dad. I'm going to get these two to go home but I will be back to hold her other hand." Destiny added before kissing his forehead. "Alright you two. Let's go. Kiss Grandma and Grandpa good night." Sam smiled as his grandkids came over and kissed him goodnight then went over to say a couple things to their grandmother. Just as they were making their way to the door, Mercedes began to code. "Dad, what's going on?" Destiny asked as Sam quickly called for help.

"Somebody get a doctor in here!" he shouted before leaning forward and whispering in her ear as tears fell from his eyes. "Please don't leave me! I can't do this without you, Mercedes." he begged as the nurse and doctors finally came rushing in and pulling him away from her.

Mercedes stood around them as she looked at her family crying as nurses and doctors tried to revive her. She could hear Sam begging her not to leave him and Destiny hugging her two kids as they cried as well. She walked over to where they'd push her family out of the room and closed the blinds on them. She tried to place her hand on them but for some reason she couldn't touch them.

"Please, mom, you have to fight!" Destiny cried out.

"I'll fight for you, baby girl, I am not going anywhere." she promised and then made her way over to Sam. Before she could say anything to him she heard her name being called from behind her. She turns to see what looked like a bright moving light. She looked back at Sam, blew him a kiss telling him she'd be back.

"Mercedes." she heard a whisper from the direction of the light. She followed it till she was able to see where the voice was coming from. As she made her way towards the voice she noticed her reflection had her back to her twenties. She was in shock to see her younger self but then she heard the voice again. She continued towards the voice and became stunned as her eyes fell upon her mother. "Mercedes."

"Mom...is that you?"

"Mercedes." she smiled before opening her arms to her. Mercedes felt as if she were 5 as she ran into her mother's arms then stepped back quizzically.

"Wait...am I dead?"

"No, child, you're not." she replied with a healthy chuckle. "That boy Sam is holding to you with everything he's got. He sure does love you. Reminds me of your daddy."

"Daddy...how is he? Is he with you?" she asked as she always wondered if they two of them were together. He passed away shortly after Destiny was born and she missed him so much.

"Yes, he's here but I told him I needed to speak to you alone."

"About what, Mom?" she asked as they both took a seat on a nearby bench.

"I know you're holding on for them...for Sam. I know you're weak and in pain."

"I feel amazing, mom."

"Yes, I know." she chuckled. "Back here, there's no more pain. You gotta let him know that so he can be strong enough to let you go."

"We belong together, mom. I know you know this. He was there when I was born. He's Quinn's son."

"I remember and I've been watching you. I have been so proud of the woman that you became despite my absence. I was a bit upset with how your father was raising you without me but it all worked out didn't it?" she smiled. "Everything happens for a reason, right?" she asked before continuing. "If you truly believe that the two of you belong together then you already know that he will be okay."

"Mama, I can't do that to him."

"Yes, you can. Now go back. It sounds like they're calling you." Cassandra said as she began to fade away. "I will see you, baby girl. I love you."

"I love you too, mom." Mercedes responded before making her way back to her room. The nurses looked a few seconds away from giving up as she made her way to her bed. She made her way back to her body and slowly lied down.

"Dad." Destiny muttered softly as the sound of the EKG beeping again. Sam felt his heart beating again as he wiped away his tears. They both made their way over to Mercedes and held her hand.

"Mercedes...baby." Sam muttered as he kissed her forehead once again.

"Sam." she muttered his name for the first time in a week. Hearing her voice was like heaven to Sam as he kissed her again.

"Mom." Destiny cried out as her and her kids gathered around her in tears. Mercedes reached over for their hands and called them over.

"Destiny, my child, heart. I need you to be strong for me. Be strong for your kids. Don't cry. Please, don't cry." Mercedes said as she wiped away the tears from her face. "Sage...Melody...look at you." she smiled at them as Sam just stepped back and allowed her to have a moment with the kids. After she'd finished saying what Sam could feel was goodbyes, he remained quiet as he mentally prayed that she wasn't saying goodbye. "Destiny, can you guys give me and your dad a minute alone please?" she asked as she looked over to where Sam sat and looked on.

"Yes, mom. We'll be right outside. We love you, mom." Destiny said as she and the kids left the room. Sam tried to avoid eye contact. He knew the minute he looked into her eyes that he'd begin crying again.

"Sam, you can avoid looking at me but I know you can feel me. I know I can feel you." Mercedes responded as she extended her hands over to him. He held her hand again but still refused to look her way. "Sam, please..."

"I know what you're trying to do, Mercedes."

"Then why are you wasting time that you know I don't have."

"You can't do this to me." Sam replied as he finally looked her way. "I told you a long time ago that I can't live without you."

"And I told you a long time ago that I need you to do it. Destiny's going to need you."

"I am not strong enough."

"I need you to be." Mercedes said as a tear fell from her eye. They sat in silence for what felt like hours as Sam continued to shake his head saying that he couldn't do it. "Okay, Sam, I'll stay for you. It will be painful but seeing you like this is hurting me more." Hearing her say that she would stay even though it hurt was all that Sam needed to hear to know he had to let her go.

"I'm being selfish, I know. I don't want to let you go. Something a long time ago told me that we were meant to be together..."

"That something was a somebody and that somebody is me." she replied with a smile. "Look, I just think we're holding on way too tight and we are not believing in our love. Since we were born we were together...death can't separate us. I promise you."

"I love you." Sam said as tears fell from his eyes. He kissed her softly and held on to her for dear life before looking into her eyes one last time.

"I know and I love you...forever." she replied before smiling at him and taking her last breath.

* * *

**2 weeks later-**

"Dad, I brought groceries for the house. Sage told me he came by here the other day and there was nothing in the fridge. Not to mention, I've been getting calls from your staff. Have you not been paying them?" Destiny said as she made her way to the kitchen. She began to put the groceries away then stopped when she noticed her father wasn't responding. "Dad?" she called out again as she made her way up the stairs. Each step she took she felt as if she knew what was happening. She quickly pulled out her phone and pressed 911 as she continued towards his bedroom. "Dad, are you in the room sleeping?" she asked as a tear fell from her eyes. "Oh daddy."

When she made into the room, she found him tucked in bed with the baby picture of him and her mother clutched in his arms. She walked over slowly and hesitated to touch him. He looked so peaceful but she hated that he was alone with just the picture to hold. She quickly dialed 911 as tears fell from her eyes. Without touching him, she knew he was gone. He wasn't breathing. He wasn't snoring. His eyes weren't darting back and forth as they normally did. She felt her knees buckling from under her as knelt next to him.

"I need an ambulance, please."

Sam smiled when he noticed Mercedes waiting for him at the end of the light. She was as beautiful as the day that they got married. He looked at his reflection and smiled even wider to see that he was back to his younger self. She ran towards him and jumped into his arms. He was so happy to have the love of his life back in his arms. They held on to each other as if something else was going to separate them once again.

"Sam, we've been waiting for you." she said before taking his hand. "Our dad's are grilling in the back. My mom's been waiting to meet you, too." she took his hand and guided him towards the back where he saw both of their parents joking and laughing as if they were back on earth. Sam couldn't help the smile that spread on his face, when his parents welcomed him to the party. He looked over at Mercedes as she smiled at him and knew that nothing could take away the happiness that was in his spirit at that moment. He was finally at peace and with the love of his life.

* * *

**Yes they be grilling in heaven lol**

**Yall that shit was sad AF...I ain't never written anything this sad before lol. Anyway, sorry I made y'all wait for this update. I couldn't post last week. It was like an on going shit show of a week****. With everything going on right now in America, I just couldn't deal. I also had to remove a chunk of this fic because it felt a bit insensitive to what's going on (And honestly I was getting mad as I wrote it...it was a huge argument that I wasn't but half way thru when it all came to ahead). Anyway, the argument had to do with the privilege Mercedes had because she had financial stability...either way I removed it from the fic.**

** I also knew early on that one of the two would die...and wasn't sure who would die first...then finally decided to hell with it ...they belong together. And then samcedes died in my sims game ...I was too thru...**

**I hope u all are not too upset with what I did with them since it was a big jump from when they finally got together to them being elders. I thank you all for your patience with me and thank you for reading this.**


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